Into the Void
by JudasFm
Summary: Sequel to Sins of the Mothers. Trapped in Robotnik's fortress and surrounded by the Void, Sonic and Bait must bargain with their enemies in a desperate attempt to survive. Meanwhile, Knuckles and Tails are having big problems on Angel Island. Please R&R!
1. Ours and Yours

**A/N: This fic follows on from _Sins of the Mothers_ (which follows on from _Caves of the Ancients, _sequel to _Secrets of the Emeralds _;)) If you haven't read the last one, one or two things here might not make complete sense :) Just FYI**

**If you can find it in Sega games, it belongs to Sega. If you can't, it belongs to me :P**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_I am in, as Cream might say if she was feeling really angry, a great big pile of stinky doo-doos. To recap; I have just raced over half of Mobius. Not exactly unusual for me, I'll admit, but in this case I was looking for someone. A certain, ten-year-old, jackal-shaped someone named Bait (well, not really, but he doesn't remember his given name anymore) and his sick brother Raker (who renamed the kid in the first place). Sick as in psycho, not someone with a cold._

_Long story short, I found Bait in Robotnik's Egg Carrier Three, where he'd been taken by Raker. Robotnik then blew my mind by saying he'd let me rescue Bait and leave unmolested, so long as I took Raker with me. Guess even a sadistic megalomaniac like Robotnik feels uneasy around that guy._

_I rescued Bait, brought him back to the bridge with the intention of jumping – the EC3 was above Angel Island and I wanted to go see if Tails was okay – only to find that Robotnik wouldn't let me go. Big surprise._

_It was an even bigger surprise when I found out that this was only because, while I'd distracted him, the EC3 had just flown straight into the Void which is now (apparently) sucking us along like a chocolate milkshake through a straw._

_Robotnik and I have called a...well, not a truce exactly. More a kind of 'he doesn't send psychotic robots to beat me up and I don't turn his precious Egg Carrier Three into so much scrap metal' deal. I think he knows he may need me when we arrive at...wherever we're going._

_Just for the record, this truce does not extend to Raker. That's about the only thing Robotnik and I have agreed on so far; neither of us want him near us._

_So the doc's saying that the Egg Carrier's instruments are out, which basically means that he can't control our flight anymore. On the one hand, this is bad, on the other...no, on second thoughts, it's just bad. I can see me and Bait spending a long time here._

_Which means that we need to get one or two vital things sorted out with Robotnik before either of us are very much older._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

"The full screen cinema with two hundred and forty seven movies?"

"Ours."

"The library?"

"Ours."

"The robotics factory?"

"Ours."

Robotnik lifted his head from the blueprints of the Egg Carrier Three, Level One to stare at Sonic. "You wouldn't know what to do with such a place, Sonic."

"Maybe not, but I don't want anyone who _does_ – namely you – getting near it."

"We'll come back to that one." Robotnik scrolled across. "What about the kitchen?"

"Ours."

"The restaurant serving five star quality food?"

"Ours."

"The swimming pool?"

Robotnik could see the hedgehog battling with that one before glancing at Bait – whose ears had lifted hopefully – and saying, "Ours."

The doctor's look shifted into a glare. "Fine." Straightening up, he folded his arms. "Well, why don't we make this a little simpler, Sonic? Which parts of this fortress, that I designed myself and which has been my home ever since you and your friends trashed the old one, which parts of this fortress do _I_ get?"

Sonic stared right back. "You can have one bedroom and one bathroom. I'll let you pick, since you'll be spending all your time there unless there's a mechanical emergency."

"Indeed." Robotnik's eyes, hidden behind his dark glasses, glittered ominously. "So pray tell me, Sonic, what are you planning to do with Raker? Because I'm not having him in my room, and if I agreed to this cracked suggestion of yours, I'm also having the most security measures."

"You're damn well not, doc."

Robotnik sighed now, the sigh of a martyr. "Would it be _too_ much to ask for you to see this from my perspective? Bait has you to protect him from Raker, and frankly, you're better than any security measures – although in Raker's case I don't believe he could stand against either you or them – but I have a hard time believing you're going to extend that protection to include me."

Sonic glanced around. "Yeah, where is Raker, anyway?"

"Sulking," Robotnik said succinctly. "Oh, he dressed it up by saying he never intended to participate in such a biased exchange, but that's what it really boils down to."

"Good." Raker, Bait's sadistic and increasingly unstable older brother, had wanted to have a say in how the Egg Carrier was divided, but, in what was probably the first show of unity and solidarity in five years, Sonic and Robotnik had thrown him out.

"We gotta give him somethin', though." Bait spoke up for the first time. His voice was a little stronger than it had been before, largely thanks to Sonic having persuaded him to have some soup. "Mebbe jus' a bed."

"If I see him again, I'll give him something alright," Sonic answered through clenched teeth, "but it won't be a bed."

Robotnik took a deep breath. "Pointless, melodramatic threats serve no purpose, Sonic."

"Yeah, you're right," Sonic said, smiling at him insincerely. "After all, they never do _you_ any good, do they?" He shook his head. "Let's just get on with this. Which bedroom and which bathroom do you want?"

"I have a better idea, Sonic." Robotnik reached down to the blueprints and drew a line down the middle. "Why don't we say that everything on this half is yours and everything on _that_ half is mine? Just as a benchmark; we can work out the specifics from there."

Sonic shook his head. Good ideas or not, he didn't trust Robotnik as far as he could throw him. "No, we'll take _this _side." He pointed to the side the doctor had chosen for himself. "Did you have to build something this size?"

"I've improved my design," Robotnik said.

"So I see," Sonic said very coldly. Next to him, Bait's eyes bugged out.

"Is that a _jacuzzi_?"

"Looks like it." Sonic looked up at Robotnik. "We'll take that, and the corridor leading from our half of the Egg Carrier as well."

Robotnik leaned back. "No. I think the main corridors here...here and...yes, and here as well—" he traced the map with a finger— "should be designated as neutral territory. Else you'll be cut off from most recreational facilities and I'll be cut off from most of the nutritional ones."

"You can live off your hump for a while," Sonic remarked caustically. "Seems to me putting all the fun stuff in one half and the business stuff in another is pretty damn stupid."

Robotnik's hand curled into a fist. "Pardon me, _Sonic_, but when I was designing this fortress, it never crossed my mind to build it with a view to you and I becoming roomies!"

It was a fair point. Sonic shrugged. "Whatever. Does that mean you're gonna try and convince us to share our cinema with you?"

"_Your_ cinema!" Robotnik's voice shot up a full octave, and it was only with a supreme effort that he managed to stop himself from slamming his fist onto the desk. "Everything on this Egg Carrier is _mine_, Sonic! I built it, I designed it and I damn well own it!"

"That was then. This is now. Times change, doc." Sonic shrugged again. "And the cinema is mine and Bait's, at least until we get home again. Ditto the library and the jacuzzi."

"And the robot masseuse team?" Robotnik said sarcastically.

"No, you can have that. After what happened to me last time I was at the mercy of your sick creations, I don't want an encore. If they want to cripple and torture _you_ almost to death, though, that's fine with me."

Robotnik took a long, deep breath. He'd heard that counting to ten was supposed to help calm a person down in tense situations. So far he'd reached two hundred and seventy nine, and he was no calmer than he'd been before he started.

"What about Raker? I don't want him having free rein in this place," he said, biting the words off at the end. "Can we at least agree on that, Sonic?"

"Agreed," Sonic said tersely. "And on the subject of that jerkal, if you want him kept alive, keep him as far away from me as physically possible. If you don't, then I guess it doesn't matter."

Robotnik shrugged. "I don't care what you do to him. I don't want him on the Egg Carrier and if it was up to me, I'd throw him out into the Void."

"Hmm." Sonic looked out the window. The inside of the Void was beautiful, like flying through the dancing lights in the northernmost parts of Mobius. "You might have something there."

Robotnik's jaw dropped before he could stop it. "What?"

"Hm? Oh. Nothing."

"Could it be that the oh-so-wonderful Sonic the hedgehog has a dark side after all?"

Sonic's hand clenched into a fist. "If I do, you're the one who put it there."

Robotnik chuckled. "Oh no, Sonic. Not me. I have never taken control of a Mobian's mind, hard as I've tried," he added, not quite under his breath. "Whatever you have was there before I came along...in fact, given _how_ I came along, I'd say you were already in touch with your vindictiveness."

"What I did to you was _not_ vindictive, Robotnik. Stupid, yes, immature, very likely, but not vindictive."

"Yes. Well, Sonic, you keep telling yourself that if it makes it easier to look at yourself in the mirror. As I was saying, I'd throw him out into the Void except I still don't know what would happen."

"That never bothered you before," Sonic said flatly.

"That's true, except for the little fact that I know nothing about the Void. At the moment we seem to be safe inside the Egg Carrier. If I open one of the exits, who's to say that whatever's out there won't come in here? I don't want rid of Raker badly enough to take myself out along with him."

Sonic snorted. "There's a first."

Robotnik smirked. "Oh, and there was me thinking you'd forgotten how things were before you—" He broke off with an exaggerated look at Bait. "Oops. So sorry, Sonic. These things just slip out from time to time."

Sonic shook his head. "Don't be more obvious than you are, doc." He glanced at Bait. "Bait, Knuckles and Tails know, so I guess it's only fair you do too; I used to be Robotnik's lab assistant and friend until I did something incredibly stupid and turned him into the megalomaniac he is now."

"What kinda somethin'?"

"Something involving a rotten egg," Sonic said flatly; he didn't fancy going into too much detail.

"Is that how come he looks like one?" Bait wanted to know.

"No, he _looks_ like one because he spends his entire time pigging out on trash food," Sonic said bluntly, and not quite truthfully.

"Look who's talking," Robotnik drawled. "Do you ever eat or drink anything bar chilli dogs and soda?"

"Sure. Chocolate, milkshakes, pies, fruit…you name it." Sonic raised his eye ridges. "Unlike _you_, though, I spend most of my time running."

This time the look on the doctor's face was decidedly evil. "Yes, I know. I remember the last time you visited me and went for a little run, Sonic. Do you?"

Sonic went pale, almost sky blue. He swallowed, but couldn't find any words to answer.

"I must admit it was something of a shock to see you fully healed again," Robotnik went on. "I suppose you got that thick skulled echidna to use his little toy on you."

"I got an idea," Bait said suddenly.

"A noteworthy occasion," Robotnik drawled. "I'll have one of my minions bake you a cake."

"Hey, you leave him alone, Robuttnik!" Sonic ordered, then glanced down at Bait. "What's your idea?"

Bait, who had visibly wilted at Robotnik's words, shook his head. "Nuh uh. It dunt matter. 'S prob'ly crap anyway."

"No, c'mon kiddo, what is it?"

Glancing up at Sonic, seeming to draw courage from the hedgehog, Bait swallowed. "Well…he wants food an' we want fun, right, on'y he built all the fun stuff here—" he pointed with his good hand to the left hand side of the Egg Carrier— "an' all the food stuff _here_," pointing to the right. "So 'steada splittin' it down that way—" he drew an invisible line from top to bottom where Robotnik's had been before— "why don't we split it _that_ way?" Bait drew another line, this one going from left to right and bisecting the Egg Carrier neatly in two. "'S jus'…mebbe that'd work 'cause then we'd all have a bit of ev'rythin'."

Sonic looked up at Robotnik. "Well?"

An enigmatic expression appeared on the doctor's face. "I'm willing to go along with that if you are, Sonic, on condition that I have unrestricted access to all mechanical parts on the Egg Carrier. If something malfunctions and is about to blow us all up, I don't plan to hold off on fixing it just because it's in your half of the ship."

"Fine," Sonic said curtly. "Then we'll take the top part, since that has the water in it for Bait." He reached down and ruffled the fur between the jackal's large ears. "Good thinking, kiddo." Glancing up at Robotnik, he said in a far less affectionate tone, "Alright. So start talking. You've been analysing that…that _thing_ outside the Egg Carrier all morning. What is it?"

Robotnik leaned back. "To be honest, Sonic, I'm still not sure. If I had to make an informed guess right now, I'd say it might be a wormhole."

Sonic stared at him. "A wormhole? To where?"

Robotnik shrugged. "Since most wormholes don't come with signposts, there's no way of knowing that without following it through to its culmination. Isn't this like the Special Zone was for you?"

"No," Sonic said shortly.

The doctor chuckled. "It's alright, Sonic, I have no intentions of going there. It's much easier to let you do all the hard work and I just pick up the Chaos Emeralds once you come out."

"You should be so lucky."

"I already have been, on numerous occasions." Robotnik smiled slightly. "I don't blame you for not wanting to trust me, Sonic, but at the moment we need each other."

"Correction; you might need me to deal with whatever hell we arrive at when we arrive at it," Sonic retorted.

Robotnik's smile didn't waver, didn't falter. "Yes. And you need me because – unless you took lessons that I don't know about – I'm pretty sure you don't know how to fly an aerial fortress of doom, much less operate the finer machinery. You help me to survive, I give you houseroom. At least until we get back to Mobius. Deal?"

Sonic swallowed hard.

"Deal," he said, in a cracked, dusty voice he barely recognised as his own.

**So, chapter one of story four is now up ;) For all of you who have been clamouring to know more about the Void, you'll be in luck; Sonic and Bait's parts deal almost exclusively with it…plus the trials and tribulations of living with your mortal enemies ;) More will be along soon and in the meantime, if you read this, please review!**


	2. Crash Landing

**Hawk's Soul: Heh...it was, wasn't it? (_Robotnik: I regret nothing._) As to the rest...(blushes) Thanks :) I try my best**

**Maverick87: (grins) Thanks :D And here's some more for you to feed on ;)**

**Private somebody: What, Sonic and Bait are trapped on a ship with Raker and Robotnik, Raker's in a foul mood and Sonic has been forced into agreeing to a deal that might well get him killed and that's not a cliffhanger:P I guess not...still, not all cliffhangers are life-or-death situations ;) Mystery Science Theatre...actually, I had considered it; I've done something similar with Lord of the Rings characters (long story!) I even have one or two possibilities drafted out, but I'm not sure if it would come under the heading of pure MST-ing (would have to be done with deliberately written badfic and/or spam rather than movies) **

**Kj: Well, most of them, certainly. 99.9 percent ;)**

**Matt Lans: (grins hugely) Now THAT'S tempting :D:D:D**

**Pyrokinetics: The power! The POWER! (evil cackle) Well...you'll find out about Knux and Tails in good time :P**

**Awdures: Thanks :)**

**Taryn Wander'r: Thanks. And, well...maybe things'll calm down a little. Perhaps ;)**

**D.C.111: (raises eyebrows) Maybe you need to read them again ;) It's mentioned in a couple (the first and probably the most recent as well) exactly what the Void does, and as for what it is, nobody knows...yet ;)**

**TC Chan: (shrugs) No, books and Sonic don't go hand in hand, but this is _Sonic_ we're talking about; chances are good he wouldn't want to let Robotnik have _anything_ :P As for Knux and Tails...read on ;)**

**PyroHedgehog4Ever: Thanks :) **

**FriedBrickWall: (evil grin) Hey, don't dismiss Knux and Tails so soon ;) (_Knuckles: 74 percent? Great. So what was it before then?_) As for Raker's accommodation...ooh, I like that idea :P**

**Professor Ken: Thanks :D And I was wondering that myself...I think it's both a fortress _and_ a mansion. After all, if you're gonna take over the world, you might as well do it in comfort ;)**

**Kj: Yeah, Cream; the baby rabbit with the mental processes of a concussed penguin in the Sahara (Deep apologies to all Cream fans; the bunny just sets my teeth on edge :P)**

**Riven/Rivic: (laughs) Oh, I love that idea! Hmm. Maybe...no. No, resist temptation :P**

**Shin-Ashura: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it :)**

**Draxidean Icefire T: Thanks, I'll do my best :D**

_Guardian's Log no. 11492_

_Angel Island is falling. This seems to happen quite a lot since I met Sonic and Tails._

_Speaking of Sonic, I have no idea where the Blue Blah has gone. Well…no, that's not entirely true; I know he was on Robotnik's aerial fortress which then crashed into the Void and promptly vanished. Tails and I have been hiding out in Ice Cap Zone, with the Master Emerald in my hoard's new home._

_So my mother Lara-Le is dead and Angel Island is falling…again. The two events aren't connected (at least, not as far as I know; it didn't fall last time this happened, then again, she wasn't really dead) but I don't like either of them._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_Knux chose me. I can't believe that. I don't get it; I thought he'd pick Lara-Le. Then again, she killed his dad but then again, she was his mother. And he picked me. Me._

_But there's one thing I can't stop thinking about. If Knux could turn the clock back to when me and Lara-Le were both about to be eaten and he could choose again, would he make the same choice?_

_--Tails_

Angel Island crashed into the sea.

This might seem like a ridiculously simplistic description, but there really was no other way to describe it. There were no dramatic last words from its two sentient inhabitants – at least, none that any historian would want to repeat – and no last-ditch attempts to leap boldly off the edge.

It hit the water and then, because it wasn't anchored like most other islands, the mountain end dipped underwater, flooding the caves and melting most of the snow in Ice Cap Zone before righting itself and starting to float again, albeit in the water.

In a cave in Ice Cap Zone, surrounded by remnants of Knuckles' hoard (most of which had now been washed out by the ocean) Knuckles and Tails were sitting by the Master Emerald, clinging to it…or rather, Knuckles was clinging to the Emerald and Tails was clinging equally determinedly to Knuckles.

Turning his head, Tails spat seawater out of his mouth, then proceeded to shake himself vigorously.

"That wasn't so bad," he said in a small voice. "I thought it'd be rockier."

"My ancestors put in stabilisers," Knuckles said with a shrug. "Apparently they didn't mind plummeting downwards so long as they landed in the water, but they did object to the Island landing upside-down."

"Where'd we land, Knux?"

The echidna shrugged again. "I've no idea except it's in the water."

Tails looked down at his still damp fur, then at Knuckles' sodden form and grinned. "No kidding, Knux!" The grin abruptly disappeared from his face as he winced. "Ow. I think I broke a tooth."

"Yeah?" Concerned, Knuckles reached out. "C'mon, let me see."

The fox shook his head. "I'm okay, honest. It'll be fine."

"I think you mistook that for a request. C'mere, I won't touch it." Knuckles reached out and caught hold of the fox's jaw.

Some hidden instinct warned him and he released Tails and jerked back as the fox attacked. This attack was more vicious than any Knuckles had experienced previously – at least from Tails – and he found himself giving ground rapidly in an effort to avoid hurting the fox.

Survival managed to momentarily overcome altruism and Knuckles seized Tails in both hands just in time to prevent the fox taking another chunk out of him, and threw him bodily across the room into the wall. Dazed, Tails slithered down, then got somewhat unsteadily to his feet.

"Don't make me do that again, kid," Knuckles warned him.

A fragment of consciousness slid back into Tails' eyes and he backed off, panting rapidly, then saw Knuckles' freely bleeding injuries and flattened his ears. Licking his lips nervously, only realising his mistake when his tongue brought a fair amount of Knuckles' blood into his mouth (which he spat out quickly, trying to scrub at his tongue with his fingers) Tails sat down hard, reaching around to grab one of his namesakes and hug it tightly.

After a minute or two, he heard Knuckles' footsteps and turned his head away, cringing not in fear but in shame.

A few seconds later, he risked looking up to see if Knuckles had left.

No such luck. The echidna still stood there, arms folded, staring down at him.

"I did it again, didn't I?" Tails mumbled into his fur.

"You're damn straight you did," Knuckles said flatly. "Start talking."

Tails flattened his ears. "'Bout what, Knux?"

"You know damn well what, Tails, don't play games with me!" The echidna narrowed his eyes. "And if you're gonna keep attacking me—"

"'S always you, isn't it, Knux?" Tails said accusingly, in an effort to divert the echidna's attention. "All you ever talk about is you, you, you. You don't care 'bout me—"

That stung Knuckles into replying. "Tails, I _do_ care about you, you know that!"

"Oh sure!" Tails yelled, startling the echidna into silence. "You care 'bout me all the time I'm fixing this or making that work, but you don't care 'bout _me_! You on'y wanna stay here with your pet Emerald, right, Knucklehead? _That's_ not gonna want you to show a little...to be..." He broke off.

"Go on," Knuckles instructed.

Tails shook his head. "Uh uh!"

"No, come on, Tails, you were doing fine up until that point," Knuckles said bitingly. "The Master Emerald's not going to want me to...?" He let the sentence trail off, raising eye ridges at Tails.

"_It_ doesn't want you to hug it," Tails muttered rebelliously.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "_That's_ what this is all about?" When Tails nodded, he sighed. "Right. So you think I don't care about you just because I don't feel the urge to prove it by treating you like a plush toy stroke comfort blanket."

"An' you don't want me to do it to you either," Tails said, glancing to the side. "You'll give me food an' lemme stay with you, but being nice is out the question, huh? The closest you ever get to being nice is not breaking someone's head."

"I'm nice." The words were surprised from Knuckles before he had the chance to snatch them back.

"Then how come you don't wanna touch me?" Tails flattened his ears. "I'm not contagious, Knux."

There was a pause.

"I didn't say you were," Knuckles said at the end of it, when Tails seemed waiting for him to break the silence.

"So how come you hate me touching you an' you never touch me?" Tails demanded, with, it must be admitted, a little more dramatic emphasis than accuracy.

"Echidnas don't," Knuckles said shortly. "Not unless it's something drastic or to do with coupling...and no offence, Tails, but you are really not my type."

"I'm not an echidna either, so that pathetic excuse isn't gonna work, Knux!"

The echidna folded his arms coldly. "No? Alright, how about this pathetic excuse? Half the time when I try to do something like that, _you_ do something like this!" He indicated the deepest of the bites. "Can you blame me for not wanting to get chewed on any more than I have to?" Knuckles regretted his words the instant he saw the fox's expression.

"I know, Knux." Tails looked more downcast than the echidna had ever seen him. "I know an' I'm sorry, but I don't wanna do it, honest. It jus' happens."

"Yeah, I can see it _jus' happens_," Knuckles informed him acidly. "What I want to know is _why_!"

"Doesn't matter."

"It damn well does, kid; I'm on the wrong end of it half the time! Now what the hell sets it off in the first place?"

Tails got abruptly to his feet. "It's okay, Knux. It won't happen again, I promise."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Don't make promises you can't keep, kid. It _will_ happen again and it will _keep_ happening again until you tell me how to avoid triggering it!"

The fox shook his head. "Uh uh. It's not gonna happen again. I know it's not." He hesitated, gathering his courage. "Knux?"

"Yeah?"

Tails swallowed hard. "I love you, Knux. You know that, right?"

The echidna rolled his eyes. "Oh, for the love of the Emeralds, Tails; lay off the cute little kid routine already before I hurl!"

Tails flattened his ears, looking as though Knuckles had slapped him, then turned away, both namesakes tucked firmly between his legs. "Yeah. Doesn't matter. Forget it."

Knuckles opened his mouth. "Tails—"

"I said it doesn't matter, okay?" There was the barest tremor in Tails' voice, so slight that it was barely noticeable unless you were listening hard. "I need...I gotta go check on something. I mean get something. I gotta go find something."

Knuckles frowned. "Tails, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah! Sure I am! Why wouldn't I be? I jus'...I wanna...I'll see you later." Turning, Tails sped away, namesakes spinning behind him for added acceleration.

Left alone, the echidna's frown deepened. Could it...had Tails _meant_ that? Really meant it? Knuckles genuinely had no idea. Worse, he had no notion of what he was supposed to say or do now.

An hour or so later, Tails landed with a bump in the Marble Garden Zone and glanced around. The seawater had melted the snow and it now looked much as it always had, albeit a little soggier.

He'd been kicking this idea around for a long time now, since he'd overdosed on lactoberries some time back and Knuckles had knocked him out with some seida seeds. That had been the first time Tails had managed to sleep without nightmares, and he'd felt settled for a few hours afterwards (mainly because seida took a long time to work themselves out of a person's system).

Caught up in his thoughts, Tails almost walked right past a seida bush before the scent of the leaves alerted him to its presence and he dropped to his knees next to it. It was in season, and there was an abundance of the dark grey spherical seed pods.

The fox reached out, then hesitated. Would this even work? Logic said yes, but logic had been wrong before.

Tails shook his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts that were never far from his mind these days, then cracked open the nearest seed pod and started to eat.

**Okay, so that's it for chapter two ;) Hope you liked it and if you read, please review!**


	3. Solutions

**PyroHedgehog4Ever: Thanks. Heh...no, the seida didn't make him sick; you're thinking of the lactoberries :P**

**Maverick87: Hmm...not sure sedatives count as drugs...then again, maybe they do :P**

**Pyrokinetics: (bows) I am indeed evil ;) As for apologising to save Knuckles' butt...erm, were you talking to me or him:P**

**Asher Tye: (shakes head) At the moment I think the only road Tails is contemplating is a somewhat terminal one :( Still...maybe it'll all work out in the end :P As to the food situation...I'm not sure, to be honest. I think Robotnik might have to go on a diet ;) Tails and his feral episodes...maybe I'll explain that and maybe not :P**

**Riven K. Daniel: Thanks :) Tails...well, at the moment he's very mixed up inside. He'll probably get back to his old self pretty soon ;)**

**Hawk's Soul: Hmm...well, it was of average length, particularly for the early chapters ;) To be honest I'd rather write a short chapter and make it good than drag it out ten or twelve pages just for the sake of it ;) (_Knuckles: Look, how was I supposed to know the kid meant it?_)**

**Matri90: No, it's not. I've made this point before in early fics, and I'll make it again for all those who missed it the first time; although I have nothing against the concept, I do NOT write slash fanfics. Not now, not ever. Particularly not slash fanfics featuring a relationship between a sixteen year old and an eight year old. **

**And for future reference, none of my Sonic fics – this one, sequels or random fics – are going to turn slash at any point. Ever. It just doesn't work for me :)**

**TC Chan: I live to scare people :P And yes, Knux did tell Tails about the seida seeds...I just never wrote that bit ;) As for Tails...you'll find out in due time...probably :P Dying keyboard...ooh, not fun :( I remember when my last one went; the Ts were fine but the spacebar packed in :)**

**Shadow-spawn180: Thanks; glad you liked it :D**

**FriedBrickWall: Maybe he is and maybe he isn't; you'll find out very soon :P (_Knuckles: Forty nine? After everything I did for Tails, I only ranked forty nine?_) Ignore him; he's been in a bad mood lately :P**

**Parslie: Thanks :D**

**Private somebody: Ooh, looks like I've been busted :P Seriously though, like I said before, about ninety percent of cliffhangers don't blatantly deal with life or death situations...although in Tails' case in the last chapter, since he's deliberately attempting to overdose on a kind of natural sleeping pill, I'd say that's just what it was ;)**

**Matt Lans: Heh...I think you're right (_Knuckles: I have a WHAT up my butt?_)**

**Owl: Thanks; I'm glad you enjoy them :)**

**Shin-Ashura: (shrugs) Sure I do :P weg stands for Wicked Evil Grin**

_Guardian's Log no. 11493_

_I found Tails in Marble Garden Zone. The kid had overdosed on seida. I wish I'd never told him what that stuff did...then again, how was I supposed to know he'd do something like that?_

_I managed to sort him though. I think. I'll know for sure when he wakes up._

_If he wakes up._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

Tails forced open dry eyes, still groggy from the seida.

"Thank the Emeralds!" someone said from off to his left.

Squinting, the fox glanced around at Knuckles...or at least, at the big red blurry thing that he presumed was Knuckles.

"Wha...?" he managed.

Knuckles gripped Tails by the shoulders, hauled him upright and shook him hard, relief making him rougher than usual. "Don't you ever, _ever_ scare me like that again! What in the Master Emerald possessed you to do such a crazy thing?"

Tails stared at him dully for a few minutes, then turned away. "Leemelone, Knucklehead."

"Oh no." Knuckles shook his head. "That's the one thing I _won't_ do, Tails, not until I can be sure that you're not going to do anything stupid."

"I wanna sleep."

"You can sleep later. Just tell me _why_, Tails. Why'd you do it?"

"I on'y ate th' seida, Knux."

"You ate enough to kill a grown echidna, and if I hadn't got you to throw up, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." Knuckles shook his head, then pulled Tails into a tight hug. "Damn, kid, don't do that to me again, okay? I thought you were dead!"

"'M no' dead?"

"No, but it was damned close. Tails, what the hell were you hoping to achieve?"

"Nothin'," Tails mumbled, the seida still making him drowsy.

"Oh, _right_." Knuckles raised both eye ridges. "_Nothing_. Well, you sure missed that one, kid, because I've been racing around like a spider in an insect farm trying to keep you alive!" He paused. "But please, Tails, don't feel you have to try again on my account."

"Huh?" Tails blinked up at him owlishly and Knuckles gave up. Seida wasn't toxic, didn't do anything except make you sleep, but it _was_ incredibly strong.

"Alright, kid. Go to sleep. We'll talk about this when you wake up."

The fox was already asleep and didn't answer.

It was two days later when Tails finally woke up ravenously hungry, but feeling better and more rested than he had for a long time.

"Knux?"

The echidna glanced at him. "You're awake? How are you feeling?"

Tails' stomach rumbled loudly. "Hungry. C'n I have something to eat?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Alright. Here." He passed a bowl of fish, vegetables and rice – his own supper – over to the fox, who seized it and wolfed down the contents, even going so far as stuffing his face inside and licking the bowl clean afterwards.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Knuckles told him, somewhat taken aback by the fox's voracity. "You also have a slice of pepper on your—" he broke off as Tails' tongue ran out and licked the pepper off his snout. "Never mind."

Tails chewed, swallowed, sighed contentedly and then coloured as he remembered recent events. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly he said, "Uh. Knuckles?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking...um...well...we need to talk."

"You're damn straight we do. I think something broke inside of you when you were down in the mines, Tails, and I'm not talking about bones. You need to talk and I'm not letting up until you _do_."

Tails yawned widely and curled up, hugging his knees to him. "You're not setting me a very good example, Knuckles."

It was only with a supreme effort that Knuckles managed to refrain from slapping the fox, and slapping him hard at that. Instead he said tightly, "And _what_ is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You never talk about what happened to your father. Not to _anyone_. How is that any different from this?"

Knuckles tightened his lips. "That's personal, kid."

"So's this pers'nal!" Tails protested. "How come it's okay for you but not for me?"

"We're not talking about me!"

"I am."

The echidna folded his arms. "You wanna know how it's different? I'll tell you how it's different! It's different because my father's death never turned me feral and made me try to kill myself, that's how!"

Tails looked away. "Lemme guess. Something like that messes up echidna honour."

"Unless you have some kind of terminal disease, yes it does, and quit changing the subject! What happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"I don't care," Knuckles informed him bluntly. "That worked before, but now...you go feral on me for the third time, you launch into me and on top of all that, you try to commit suicide! Tell me if I'm wrong. What happened?"

Tails opened his mouth, shut it with a snap and then opened it again to say, "You wouldn't understand."

"I don't care," Knuckles said again. "I don't need to understand it, kid, but _you_ need to talk about it! I don't care if you talk to me, talk to a complete stranger, talk to Robotnik – if he ever comes back – talk to the CDA or pretend a rock is your new best friend and talk to _that_; you need to start talking."

Tails blinked at him. "A rock? You want me to talk to a rock?"

"I want you to talk to something. Who or what is down to you."

The fox hesitated, an idea occurring to him. "Knux, I'm gonna go out, okay?"

"No you're not." Knuckles pulled out the red Chaos Emerald and pressed it against Tails' arm. "Swear to me first that you're not going to do anything except talk to something and when you're done you're gonna come straight back and find me."

Tails scowled at him. "You don't gotta babysit me all the time, Knucklehead!"

"I dunno about that. Seems I do if the first time I turn my back you're off doing crazy stuff. Swear to me, Tails."

The fox sighed. "O_kay_. I'm not gonna do anything except talk to something and when I'm done I'm gonna come straight back an' find you. Where're you gonna be, Knux?"

"Either here or just outside."

"Okay." Tails fixed him with a comically stern look. "Then I want _you_ to swear by the Master Emerald that you're not gonna sneak after me an' listen in!"

Knuckles, who had never intended any such thing, shrugged. "Fine."

Tails punched him on the arm. "Say it, Knux!"

The echidna rolled his eyes. "Alright. I swear by the Master Emerald that I'm not going to follow you and listen in."

Satisfied, Tails pushed himself off the bed and left, whirring his namesakes for extra speed. The suddenness of the departure surprised Knuckles, who had half a mind to follow Tails before remembering his promise and settling back with a scowl. Well...if the kid wasn't back in twenty four hours, he'd go out to find him anyway.

In fact it was less than two hours before Tails returned, looking strangely tired but more like himself than Knuckles had seen him since Scrap Brain Zone.

"C'n I have some more of that fish, Knux?"

"If you go out and catch it," Knuckles retorted. "I wasn't sure if you were coming back tonight or not. Are you alright?"

Tails hoisted himself onto the echidna's table, swinging his legs. "I guess. I feel kinda tired but real light, like I could fly."

"You _can_ fly."

"You know what I mean!" The fox studied the wall for a few minutes. "Knux?"

"Yeah?

"D'you think we're gonna see Sonic again?"

No, Knuckles didn't think they were. Sonic had vanished from Mobius, taking Robotnik with him.

"If anyone could get back," he said carefully, "it'd be him."

"But if the Void took him away and only the Void can bring him back...Sonic wouldn't come back if it meant the Void came too."

That much was true, Knuckles admitted. Sonic would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if he thought it would save his friends.

"It can teleport itself, remember?" he said aloud. "Who's to say it's taken Sonic anywhere? It might have just reappeared somewhere else on Mobius and if it has, all he has to do is escape and come back here."

"Across an ocean? Sonic?"

"Y—" Knuckles broke off. "Hm. You may have a point there."

"Can't we move the island through the water?"

"No, for two very good reasons. The first is that if we move it to land, someone's going to find it, and I don't much like that idea. The second is that my ancestors – although they were technologically advanced enough to harness the Chaos energy and send Angel Island into the sky in the first place – forgot to fit it with an outboard motor or even a pair of giant oars."

Talking about other echidnas reminded Tails of the one down in the tunnels and he frowned slightly.

"What're we gonna do 'bout the puggle, Knux? 'Cause you an' him are probably the last of your race and he probably wants to get out of the tunnels. I know I would."

"She," Knuckles corrected automatically. Tails' face contorted.

"You mean he's a _female_?"

"Yeah." The echidna took a long, deep breath. "And – callous as this sounds – we got more important problems, Tails. The Master Emerald's burnt out. Protecting us and healing you must have drained it entirely."

"What's that mean?"

"Well, in layman's terms it means that we are now the proud owners of a seven hundred and fifty pound emerald-shaped paperweight," Knuckles said bluntly. "It also means that we need a new one."

Tails snorted. "You mean we're gonna go down the local Master Emerald store and pick one up?"

"Worse," Knuckles informed him. "I mean we have to go find the Chaos Caves and get one from there."

Tails shifted his weight. "You mean..."

"You bet I do." Knuckles threw an empty bag at Tails. "Start packing, kid. We're going back to the tunnels."

**Okay...admittedly a short joining chapter, but it was needed :P Hope you enjoyed it and if you read, please review:)**


	4. Out of the Frying Pan

**Shadow-spawn180: Thanks :D As for Tails' feral tendencies...heh, maybe I will clear them up. Following his little excursion I think Tails is likely to make a full recovery though ;) Knuckles' mood swings (_Knuckles: I do not have mood swings!_) well...he did have one hell of a shock...and you'll find out about Sekko in good time :P**

**D.C.111: Yep, they're going back into the caves ;) Sonic and Tails...yes, they pretty much got back on their old footing back in _Sins_ ;)**

**Kj: Yeah, they are...it's about time they got around to it :P And thanks**

**Riven/Rivic: Heh, thanks :P (_Knuckles: You lay one finger on Tails again and I'll—_) Knuckles! Sorry; he's a little protective of Tails ;)**

**Private somebody: Ooh, good point; I never thought about shipping and handling :P And thanks; glad you liked it :D**

**Maverick87: Thanks :D As for Tails' trying to kill himself, well...it looked that way to Knuckles...you can make up your own mind ;)**

**Matri90: Thanks :)**

**Awdures: Thanks...let's hope so :P**

**TC Chan: Thanks. Ooh, Knuckles in parenting classes...scary thought! **

**Hawk's Soul: Thanks, glad you like it :P And yes, you will see more of Sonic in this chapter (and future ones ;))**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Thanks :D And no worries; I can kinda see how it could get confusing :P**

**Draxidean Icefire T: (grins) Thanks; glad you liked that bit :D**

**Asher Tye: Thanks...yeah, it was short but sweet :P **

**Pyrokinetics: Heh, well, that's alright then :P (_Knuckles: No it isn't!_)**

**FriedBrickWall: Thanks :P As to the rest of it...you'll find out in good time weg**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_So that's that sorted. The top half of the Egg Carrier – on all levels – is mine and Bait's and the bottom half belongs to Robotnik. And Raker, I guess, although the doc seems adamant he's not going to share. For once, I can't blame him._

_Where the hell is Raker squatting, anyway?_

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Got anuther jurnal wat Sonic giv me. Hard to rite and hold payges; Raker stomped my hand. Dont care tho. Leest Sonic come back for me._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

"_Do_ something about that damn jackal!" Sonic barked.

"My dear Sonic, what on Mobius do you expect me to do?" Robotnik said, rather testily. He'd spent the entire night and most of that morning frantically trying to rewire the radar and shields to deal with their current situation, he'd had to deal with electrical surges, power outages and the subsequent failure of seventeen vending machines and the one flushing toilet in his half of the Egg Carrier and felt, perhaps justifiably enough, that he shouldn't have to deal with Sonic's temper as well. Certainly not before breakfast.

"I don't care if you lock him up, tie him up, muzzle him, roboticise him, shave him, dump him out with the sewage, get hold of a voodoo doll and a flamethrower, jettison him or just _eat _him...do whatever you want but I don't want him frightening Bait anymore!"

"Really? Well, Sonic, I'd much rather he frighten Bait than turn his attention to me."

"You don't get a vote in this," Sonic informed him without parting his teeth.

"That's hardly fair considering I happen to _own_ the fortress that you and your latest sidekick are currently squatting in!"

"Then _you_ take responsibility for it!" Sonic shot back. "Do something about Raker, and I really don't care what!" Raker had made it abundantly clear that he was just waiting for a chance to snatch Bait again, even going so far as to rattle the door at night and stand and stare at Bait any other time.

"Why don't _you_ do something?" Robotnik countered. "You're the hero, Sonic, not me. Why don't you defend your little worshipper?"

"Because I don't think I'd be able to control myself, that's why!"

"Hmm." Robotnik went back to his rewiring. "Yes, you certainly seem to be having difficulty at the moment, don't you?"

"Exactly!" Sonic took a couple of deep breaths and managed to calm down a little. "In the meantime, I need something."

"Yes, and if that something is a hard kicking, Sonic, I'll be more than happy to oblige. Otherwise, get out of my half!"

Sonic folded his arms. "Food. Medicine. _Now_."

Robotnik didn't even look up from the components he was wiring. "How about a please, Sonic?"

"How about a spine full of spines, you sick jerk? Tell me how to work your dispensers!" Sonic could have kicked himself for not finding this out sooner; each dispenser could only be activated by a six digit code, and knowing Robotnik, if the hedgehog got it wrong, the whole thing was likely to blow up in his face. Literally.

The doctor glanced at him, fixing him with an expression that could only really be described as demonic. "Is that any way to address your old friend, Sonic?"

"You're no friend of mine, Robotnik," Sonic said quietly. "I was friends with a strange creature who called himself Dr Kintobor a long time ago, but that creature is long gone."

"Yes, and whose fault's that, exactly?"

Sonic whirled. "Hey, I might have mutated you into an egg-shaped lunatic, but I didn't make you try to take over the world! That's a little idea you came up with on your own! I'm only thankful you never took it into your head to breed!" He paused, a new thought occurring to him. "Did you?"

"No, Sonic. I was never interested in children even if I'd been able to find a female of my own species," Robotnik answered flatly. "Especially not now. Evil genius plus ambitious evil genius progeny...it's just _asking_ for trouble."

The hedgehog unbent very slightly. "You may have something there. Speaking of trouble, you figured out what that Void is yet?"

"No. I'll need a sample before I can answer that question with any degree of accuracy."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "You'll need a _what_? And just who's dumb enough to get that sample?"

_Stupid, stupid question_, he thought to himself as Robotnik steepled his fingers and regarded him with an air that would have been classed as entreaty in any other.

"Forget it," he said curtly.

"Sonic—"

"No, no, no, no, _no_! And in case you didn't hear me the first time, NO!"

"It's perfectly safe, Sonic—"

"Maybe for _you_, Robuttnik! I am not going out there and leaving Bait to Raker for one minute just to provide you with some lousy specimen! How am I supposed to sample _air_, anyway?"

"With a specially prepared lead jar, of course. You'll be in a spacesuit which should protect you from the negative effects of the Void. Once you got the sample, you'd be pulled in."

"Or cut loose to die," Sonic said flatly. "This is crazy."

"You've done crazier things, Sonic."

"Sure, but not for _you_!" The hedgehog shook his head. "No how. No how, no way. Now tell me the activation code for your dispensers, Robuttnik!"

"Not if you're going to insult me." The doctor lifted a soldering iron and started work on different components.

"I'll damn well _dissect_ you if you carry on like this!" Sonic shot back. "What's the code?"

Robotnik glanced up at him. "I'll tell you if you agree to go out."

"Tell me first, and when Bait's back on his feet, maybe I'll agree to it," Sonic retorted.

"Seven eight two four one nine."

Sonic favoured him with a brittle and wholly insincere smile. "Thanks, doc." Turning, he sped away to one of the dispensers and dialled up a mug of hot soup. It was easier than trying to feed Bait solid food at the moment.

Carefully, keeping half an eye open for Raker (who had been uncharacteristically absent from most proceedings recently) Sonic headed back to the room he shared with Bait. It was one of the smaller rooms on the Egg Carrier, and it had taken some time for Sonic to rig up two hammocks. Granted the second one was something of a waste, since Bait ended up climbing into Sonic's most of the time, but at least the hedgehog felt he was trying.

"Here, kiddo." Crossing over to the hammock in question, Sonic helped Bait sit up and held the cup to his lips. "You gotta swallow some of this."

Bait slumped against Sonic's body, apparently still lacking the strength to support his own weight (although Sonic was inclined to take that claim with a pinch of salt) and took a small gulp of soup, then grimaced.

"Tastes disgustin'!"

Sonic grinned. "Maybe, but it'll do you good."

This was a truer statement than Bait knew; Sonic had ground a couple of painkillers and some antibiotics into the liquid, considering it faster than trying to persuade Bait to take them himself. He still had vivid memories of trying to get Tails to swallow medicine; by the time the little fox had agreed, he hadn't needed it anymore.

In Bait's case, it wasn't necessary – Knuckles had once commented acidly that Bait would eat fried mouse turds if it was Sonic who gave them to him – since the jackal was already gulping down the hot liquid.

"That's it." Retrieving the now empty mug, Sonic placed it carefully on one side. "How're you feeling?"

Bait looked up at Sonic, large brown eyes shining with the particular gleam of someone who can't believe their luck. "You come lookin' for me."

Sonic rolled his eyes and fluffed up the fur between the jackal's ears. "Of course I came looking for you! You didn't think I'd leave you to Raker's tender care, did you?"

"He said you would. That was jus' before he burned me." Bait looked down at the blistered skin mournfully. "I'm prob'ly gonna have 'nother white patch now. _Loadsa_ white bits, I shunt wonder."

"They might tone in with your stomach," Sonic pointed out, looking down at Bait's white belly fur.

"I dunt wann'em to tone in, Sonic, I wann'em to _go_."

Sonic shook his head. "Can't help you with that one, kiddo. Knuckles could, though I'm not sure he'd agree to."

Bait snorted. "Nah, he hates me. I'm glad Raker dint get to go through with his plan."

The hedgehog raised eye ridges. "What plan?"

Bait looked away. "He said he was gonna go to Knux's home an' tell him I'd led him there, then leave me behind."

Sonic winced. "Oh man." Knuckles allowed him and Tails to come and go freely on Angel Island, but anyone else was considered fair game.

"Yeah, an' Raker said he was gonna kill me. Not Raker; Knux."

"Well...yeah, that's entirely possible, Bait," Sonic admitted. "Knucklehead doesn't much like visitors."

"An' he really don't like me," Bait added.

"Sure he does. He's just…" Sonic's voice tailed off as he caught sight of Bait's look and gave up. "Okay, yeah; he hates your guts."

Bait shrugged. "Yeah, well, he ain't th'only one. Least he never done nothin' like what Raker did."

Sonic tightened his lips. "Yeah. Just how _did_ he break your fingers anyway?"

The jackal's ears flattened. "He done that when he took my watch. I tried to get it back but he'd dropped it on the floor an' when my hand was over it he jus' stomped an' twisted his boot an'..." He let the sentence trail off.

"You do him no favours, Sonic," Raker remarked coolly from his spot by the wall, making both Bait and Sonic jump. "Teach someone to think for themselves and then they have to try and do it every chance they get, and the bait's not good at that kind of thing. It overheats his brain, he gets overexcited and then I have to deal with him when he starts mouthing off."

"You're insane." Sonic spoke the words softly; if he started to scream at Raker, he didn't think he'd ever stop. "You almost killed your little brother, and that doesn't worry you at all, does it?"

Raker met the hedgehog's gaze, unabashed. "Frankly, Sonic, no. I never wanted the little brat in the first place, although I will admit he proved useful in certain circumstances. You know about the little surprise he left in Scrap Brain? He really does have a problem."

Bait shook his head. "I dint do it, Sonic. He's lyin'; I dint plant that bomb. I don't do stuff like that no more."

Sonic ruffled the jackal's fur. "I know, kiddo." He got to his feet, still supporting Bait. "C'mon. Let's hit the jacuzzi."

Bait perked up. "Yeah! Then mebbe the pool!"

Sonic winced inwardly as they started walking towards the jacuzzi. "Maybe." He could just about cope with the jacuzzi – at the very least, there were steps to sit on so you weren't totally submerged – but the pool was pushing it to breaking point.

Sliding open the door, Bait raced forward – or at least, raced as best as his beaten body would allow – and half stepped, half fell into the hot water.

_Man, what does he see in this stuff_? Sonic wondered as he sat on the edge, as far back as he could, and dangled his feet in the hot water. He supposed the jets must be great if you could muster up the courage to sit in them, but he was far happier on dry land; even dipping his toes in such a large body of water – Robotnik's jacuzzi could quite easily have accommodated twenty people – unnerved him.

In this case, however, it wasn't like he had a choice. Bait loved the jacuzzi – and he needed it – but wouldn't step into it unless Sonic was with him, wouldn't, in fact, go anywhere without the hedgehog except to the bathroom.

"You think we're gonna get back?" Bait mumbled after about half an hour had gone by in silence, the hot water making him drowsy.

"Sure we will," Sonic said easily. "I dunno how, but we will. Stick with me, okay bro?"

Bait's ears perked at the sound of the word _bro_ and he stared at Sonic with huge eyes. "You mean that?"

"Sure I do. C'mon kiddo, let's get you outta there before you turn into a furry raisin." Sonic reached down and started to hoist Bait out of the water.

The Egg Carrier swerved suddenly, the resulting physical laws sending Sonic somersaulting into the jacuzzi. Sputtering, half panicked, the hedgehog scrambled out and didn't stop moving until he hit the opposite wall, shaking violently.

"Uh. Sonic?" Bait frowned quizzically. "You okay?"

"Fine!" Sonic answered, too quickly and too heartily. "Yeah! I'm just great!" He took a long, deep breath, then another and felt himself relax slightly. "Sure. I'm okay." Glancing in the direction of the bridge, he added, "But Robotnik won't be, not when I catch up with him. What the hell's he playing at?"

Bait pulled himself awkwardly out of the water and limped over to Sonic, determined not to be left behind.

"Dunno. You gonna go ask?"

"You bet your tail I am." Sonic set off at a pace that was infuriatingly slow for him, but which enabled Bait to keep up.

The journey to the bridge was calm enough, although one thing was different; the rainbow hue that had reflected off everything had gone, much to Sonic's disappointment. Not that he liked anything to do with the Void, however indirectly, but at least the rainbows had been nicer to look at than cold metal.

"What took you?" Robotnik said as soon as Sonic and Bait were on the bridge.

"More importantly, what _shook_ us?" Sonic countered.

"We've left the Void," the doctor said bluntly. The hedgehog's jaw dropped.

"We've _what_?"

Robotnik nodded towards the window. "See for yourself."

Wary, half suspecting a trap at any minute, Sonic stepped up to the glass with Bait at his side and froze as he caught sight of the boiling hell beneath them.

"What is that? Some kind of lava?"

"Whatever it is, it ain't Mobius," Bait said with absolute certainty.

"No." It was a mark of how absorbed Robotnik was that he hadn't yet protested either Bait or Sonic being in his half of the Egg Carrier. "And it's not my native world either."

Sonic frowned slightly. "What _is_ your native world?"

"Earth, of course, but this isn't it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, Sonic; Earth's sky is – you should pardon the pun – sky blue, not blood red." Robotnik shook his head. "I don't know what this place is, but it's not home, for either of us."

There was a long silence.

"Can you get us home?" Sonic asked eventually.

A longer silence.

"No," Robotnik admitted finally. "Not unless I can analyse the Void, find out how it works. We could go back into it, that's not a problem, but there's no way of knowing where it'll spit us out next."

"It comes to our world, right?" Bait piped up. "So all we gotta do is stick in it until that happens."

"In the first place, it seems to have vanished and in the second place, how do we know it'll go to our world again?"

"Did before," Bait mumbled.

"Did it?" Robotnik argued. "How do we know that? Who said that the Void which devastated the Jungle Zone was the same Void that brought us here? It might not be one Void; it might be several of them passing through our world on the way to somewhere else."

"Lemme get this straight," Sonic said, folding his arms. "We're here, in the most inhospitable place in the universe – with the possible exception of Genocide City Zone – and all because some travelling party of weird voidy things decided to use Mobius as a rest stop? That's crazy!"

"It certainly sounds a little odd when you put it that way, Sonic, yes," Robotnik admitted. "But it's still worth considering."

Bait looked out the window at the surface, then at Robotnik. "C'n we go out?"

"Certainly, if you want to."

Sonic, who knew the doctor better than the jackal did, caught hold of Bait as he raced past excitedly.

"Can we go out and survive the experience?" he said shrewdly.

Robotnik chuckled. "Oh Sonic, don't you trust me?"

"I agreed not to turn you into diced meat, Robotnik, not to be happy about it."

The doctor shrugged. "Fine. No, you won't survive. Sensors show that the temperature of that world is about seven hundred degrees above boiling point, the so-called clouds are evaporated acid and the surface is so hot you will melt the instant you touch it. Of course, that's after the pressure in the atmosphere turns you into a pancake. As I said, if you want to go outside, be my guest."

"Any signs of life?" Sonic asked.

"None so far," Robotnik answered, "but that doesn't mean there isn't any. The Egg Carrier is only equipped to scan for Mobian life, Sonic; in other words, carbon-based. What we find out there – if we find anything at all – will probably be based on something entirely different. Maybe a completely new element." He shrugged. "Maybe they live underground. We could be flying over an entire city and not know it."

Sonic stared at him. "Look, doc, I may not be much of a scientist, but even I know that there's no way life could survive in these conditions."

Robotnik sighed, the sigh of a man surrounded by incompetents. "Correction, Sonic; all you know is that there's no way _Mobian_ life could survive in these conditions. But – in case you hadn't noticed – this isn't Mobius and so the criteria for life has been drastically altered."

Bait frowned. "Huh?"

"He said that just because Mobians couldn't survive here there's no reason anything else couldn't," Sonic translated.

"Oh."

"So can't we communicate with this life?"

Robotnik rolled his eyes. "Three things wrong with that, Sonic. Firstly, we don't even know if it exists. Secondly, they'd have to be capable of radio communications or even loudspeakers, because thirdly, if their atmosphere would kill us in a matter of seconds, it's highly possible that our own atmosphere would kill _them_." He shook his head. "No. Whatever we do, we'll have to do it by ourselves."

Sonic shifted his weight. "Okay. So what exactly _are_ we going to—"

He was cut off as something hit the Egg Carrier hard, and the resultant shock wave knocked him off his feet and into one of the many desks that were placed around.

"That was a _missile_!" Robotnik said, offence warring with scientific curiosity. "Someone just took a pot shot at us! This is amazing!"

"Oh sure," Sonic said in a somewhat muffled voice from underneath a pot plant and various other debris. "Yeah, it's just great." Struggling to his feet, shedding soil and leaves all as he did so, he fixed the doctor with his best glare...which would probably have been a lot more effective if Robotnik hadn't been studying his screens at the time. Giving up, Sonic added, "So what're we gonna—"

"Brace yourself!" Robotnik said suddenly.

"Huh? Wha—"

The second explosion rocked the whole of the ship and knocked the three of them off their feet while the items on the control panel slid off to shatter on the floor as the Egg Carrier started to fall.

**Okay, 'nother chapter finished (just in time; I wanted to get this one up before I go on holiday :P) Hope you like it and if you read, please review!**


	5. Blue Sea and Mist

**Matri90: Thanks :D**

**Riven:P How could I not make use of them? Sonic's original suggestion was just to roboticise Raker, but after reading all those other ideas...they just had to go in :P**

**Asher Tye: Guess it does ;)**

**Kj: Yes, Robotnik came from Earth (to be honest, since he's the only human on Mobius I thought that was kind of a given :P My bad) And yes, you will get some more backstory...trust me ;) The Void...it seems so :P**

**Maverick87: (blushes) Thanks...I hope so :D After the more confined storyline in _Sins_, I thought it was about time I got back to the more action/adventure scene ;)**

**Pyrokinetics: Thanks...I think :P (hastily rereads Chapter 4 for mention of bouncing Robotnik) Hmm...and I thought I had a quirky imagination :P**

**Hawk's Soul: (grins) Thanks :D And a (belated) Happy Easter to you too:D (_Sonic: Falling into that jacuzzi was NOT FUNNY!_) You wouldn't say that if it hadn't been you, Sonic.**

**Draxidean Icefire T: (_Sonic: Brilliant idea!_) Yes, Sonic, maybe. Knux and Bait...I think you're right there :P Then again, if Knuckles thought Bait was coming to steal the Master Emerald, all bets would be off ;)**

**Matt Lans: Ooh, followed. I really hadn't thought of that...but it gives me a totally evil idea :P**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: (bows) Thankyou, I try. Yes, the emerald matter in the caves would be enough to keep Angel Island afloat (after they'd carved it and sorted it and everything) but you're forgetting one small thing; the Chaos Caves are on the surface of Mobius :P**

**FriedBrickWall: Yes, Knuckles does know Tails' real name; Sonic told him in _Master of the Emeralds _(my adaptation of _Sonic 3 & Knuckles_, not due to be uploaded until after _Rising Star_ is finished :P) As for the missile question— (_Robotnik: Look, since when have Mobians used heavy artillery against me?_) Hm. Well, I guess that about sums it up :P**

**Shadow-spawn180: Thanks :) Yeah, I never really bought into the idea of Robotnik being insane...just a complete and utter evil git :P The question of death...maybe, maybe not ;)**

**Private somebody: (wipes forehead) YES! I have at last produced an approved cliffhanger (evil grin) And thanks; I'm glad you liked it :P**

**TC Chan: Heh. Funnily enough _I_ never know what to expect when I write either :P And thanks...yeah, I think Bait could be slightly too trusting...endless possibilities ;) Then again, maybe the poor kid's suffered enough :P Six-foot lemon shaped hedgehog eating lava creatures...ooh. Maybe :P**

**MCM: (blushes) Thanks :) Other good writers...hmm, I would recommend Awdures and shadow-spawn180 ;) I don't tend to read other fanfic authors (too little time!) but they're good ones. Now, answers:**

**1. It's kinda set alongside _Sonic Heroes_ (the first fic _Secrets of the Emeralds_ had a few references to that game) purely because that's the most recent Sonic game I've played (sighs) Here's hoping _Shadow the Hedgehog_ is released on PC soon...**

**2. Tikal made a sort of referred to cameo appearance in the last one. I don't know if she and (calm) Chaos are going to appear in the others, it depends on whether or not the story needs them. Putting in characters just for the hell of it makes the story pretty stilted.**

**3. Shadow and/or Rouge...hmm. Rouge, again, if the story needs her. Shadow probably won't be putting in an appearance in this story (beats off Shadow fans with giant marshmallow club) Wait! (peering out from behind hastily constructed mound of sandbags with periscope) He's not going to have a role in this one but I promise you he will be making a definite comeback in the sequel (plot worked out, title to be determined :P)**

_Guardian's Log no. 11494_

_We are now adrift somewhere in the Shining Sea. Actually, we're making good time; I dug out one of the Sagayan boats from the Marble Garden Zone and Tails has been using his namesakes as propellers. I have no idea where we're going – except it's west – but we're bound to hit land sooner or later, and then we can see about getting back to Scrap Brain Zone and from there into the Chaos Caves._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_My tails are really wet now but luckily I managed to avoid getting the rest of me wet by holding my feet up on the edge of the boat and clinging onto it with my hands. But I gotta get some more sneakers from somewhere 'cause I still don't believe that it was a flying shell that tickled my feet that time and made me cough and fall in and stuff! I got Knucklehead back though; I half turned and spun my tails in the water which meant he was soaked._

_Gotta go; Knux managed to catch some fish and I wanna make sure he shares! He always has so far but that's no reason for me to let my guard down._

_--Tails_

"How come _I_ gotta be the motor?" Tails demanded.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "How many times? You have to be the motor because I only have one tail and I can't spin it around like you can yours."

Tails examined his namesakes. "But they're getting all wrinkly, Knux." He folded his arms. "I'm going on strike!"

Knuckles folded his. "You want me to throw you in the water, kid?"

"Yes!"

The echidna rolled his eyes, glancing down at the bottom of their craft to check on the fish. Sagayan boats were unusual in shape, being bowl-shaped with a bench running around the inside, storage space underneath that bench and a carefully constructed firepit at the bottom, where Knuckles was currently baking their latest catch.

"Am I gonna get some of those fish?" Tails wanted to know.

"You got some of the last ones, didn't you?" Knuckles retorted. They'd been adrift for three days now in relatively shallow waters, which meant that the echidna had managed to keep them going with fish and seaweed gathered from the bed beneath (much to Tails' astonishment; he'd never thought of Knuckles as a swimmer, much less a diver). Fresh water was easier to come by thanks to a portable desalination device that looked a little like a coffee maker, and it had taken all of Knuckles' efforts to prevent Tails from disassembling it to find out how it worked.

"Yeah, but I really like those green and yellow stripy ones. How do you say _fish_ in Sagayan?"

"_Gyu_." Knuckles turned the fish over and picked up some of the seaweed, handing it to Tails. "If you're hungry, eat that."

"I don't want vegetables, Knux," Tails protested.

"Then you're not that hungry," Knuckles retorted.

"I _am_!" Tails glowered at the echidna. "I'm jus' not hungry for vegetables! But I am hungry for green and yellow stripy fish," he added hopefully.

The echidna muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath _re_ certain annoyingly smug little foxes who just loved to make his life difficult, then fixed the smug little fox in question with his best stare. He was inwardly immensely relieved that Tails was acting like his old self – whatever he'd found to talk to out on Angel Island had been well worth it – but there was a downside to everything.

"How come it's all set up like this, anyway?" Tails wanted to know, scrutinising the desalinator closely. Reaching out, Knuckles took it from him deftly and filled it in the ocean.

"A lot of my ancestors were nomadic. Most of them travelled over the land, but there were a few who decided to try their luck on the seas. These boats were designed so you could fish, get clean water and...well, we can get our own vegetables from the sea bed. The original ones doubled as submarines as well, so if a storm came up they could just sink under the water and wait for it to blow over." The echidna glanced around at their boat. "That was a long time ago," he added. "I've no idea how to make this one sink, even if I wanted to."

"Erm..." Tails frowned at the bottom and kicked it experimentally. "Well, I could get a real big drill an' maybe that'd work..."

"Real funny, kid," Knuckles informed him unsmilingly. "See me laughing?"

"Nope. I've never seen you laugh," Tails pointed out, his tones utterly reasonable. "_Do_ you laugh?"

"Of course I do. I did when you and Sonic first showed up on my island, didn't I?"

The fox glowered at him. "Oh sure, just before you kept trying to _kill_ us!"

The echidna smirked. "Yeah, well, couldn't help it. You should have seen the look on Sonic's face. I didn't know eyes could bug out that far."

Tails turned away, snout in the air. "You coulda listened!"

"I did listen."

"Only 'cause Sonic whumped the patooties outta you!"

"Interesting choice of words, kid. Juvenile, but interesting."

Tails headbutted Knuckles in the ribs. "That does it! This time _I'm_ gonna whump you!"

Calmly, the echidna picked the fox up by his ankles and turned him upside down, holding him up to eye level.

"Tails, what have I told you about making threats you can't carry out?"

"An' I'm gonna!" Tails wriggled about determinedly, squirming in Knuckles' iron hold. "Leggo!"

"So you can, how did you put it? Whump the patooties out of me?" Knuckles snorted. "Tempting offer, kid, but not a chance." He paused, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Just what are patooties, anyway?"

Tails shrugged, the movement looking faintly ridiculously upside-down. "I dunno, Knux. Something you whump outta people. Now lemme go!"

Knuckles let go obligingly, although not as Tails had expected; he half spun around and let fly, sending the fox through the air in a gentle arc to skim three times over the surface of the water before finally plummeting into it with a _splunk_.

Smirking slightly, the echidna turned back to the now almost cooked fish and flipped it over.

He'd been looking at it for about ten minutes, wondering whether or not to eat it – if he waited too long for Tails, the fish would be black all the way through – when what felt like a gallon of water hit him on the back of the head and sent him face first off the bench, missing the firepit more by luck than judgment. Sputtering, he stuck his head up only to receive exactly the same treatment as before from a dripping wet Tails who was currently hovering in midair holding the biggest conch Knuckles had ever seen in his life, filling it with water for a third attempt.

"Oh no you don't." The echidna spun, leapt to the bench and, with unexpected grace, dived neatly into the water.

Tails hesitated, glancing around. He hadn't intended for Knuckles to jump ship; he'd only wanted to get back at him for throwing him in the ocean.

"Knux?" The fox flew over to the other side and looked down through the crystal waters. There was no sign of the echidna. "Knux, I'm sorry. C'mon up, I won't soak you again, promise."

No response, although given how distorted speech was underwater, perhaps Knuckles simply hadn't heard him. Tails filled his lungs and tried again.

"KNUCKLES!"

Nothing. The fox began to feel distinctly uneasy; suppose Knuckles had hurt himself?

Tails whirring frantically now, he raced over to the other side and peered down into that water. Still no sign of him.

Well...Knuckles had probably gone to get more seaweed! Yeah! That was it! More seaweed, Tails thought, conveniently forgetting the little fact that he could see right down to the bottom of the ocean and the exact amount of seaweed on that bottom, or lack thereof.

Tails started to circle the boat again, toes brushing the surface of the water, so intent upon his search that he didn't notice the dark shape circling behind him...didn't notice until it erupted from the water, seized him around the waist and dragged him under.

Or tried to, anyway. Tails' yell of mingled surprise and alarm coupled with his reflexive series of rapid kicks to his assailant's head soon ensured his release. Spinning around, ready to deal with this new threat, Tails came face to face with Knuckles, who was now laughing so hard he was struggling to stay afloat.

"You..." Tails began, stunned.

Knuckles managed to regain enough control over himself to say, "You should have seen your face, kid."

"You...just...played a...practical joke...on me." Disbelief made Tails' words somewhat disjointed; Knuckles didn't play practical jokes, not ever.

"Too right." The echidna slid out of the water and back into the boat as effortlessly as a seal, still snickering quietly. "And it worked too."

"Did not!" Tails denied untruthfully. "I _knew_ it was you! I jus' pretended I didn't so's you wouldn't be upset that your dumb joke didn't work."

"If that was an act, Tails, then you've missed your vocation in life. And if it had been an act, you wouldn't have kicked me in the head eight or nine times."

Tails scowled at him. "Yeah, well, it's not like I was gonna damage anything vital, is it? You _never_ joke, Knux."

"Wrong; I rarely joke."

Tails scrambled into the boat, shaking himself vigorously. "An' I s'pose you didn't tickle my feet that time an' made me fall in the water?"

Knuckles met Tails' glare with an innocent look. "I told you, kid; it was a shell dropped by a passing bird."

"On both feet?" Tails said scornfully.

"Yeah, alright, so it bounced. That's not my fault."

"Felt a lot like one of your spikes, Knux."

The echidna snorted, reaching down to lift the slightly blackened fish out of the embers. "How would you know? I've never tickled you with one of my spikes. D'you want some of this?"

"Do I ever!"

"Then here." Knuckles handed a portion of fish to Tails, who wolfed it down in three bites and was looking around for more before the echidna had even taken a bite out of his own. Shaking his head wryly, Knuckles passed him another fish. "Tails, do you _ever_ eat neatly?"

His mouth crammed full again, Tails shook his head, tried to speak and swallow at the same time and choked. Without thinking, Knuckles reached out and swatted him on the back several times until Tails got his breath back.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Knuckles frowned. "Hey."

Tails looked at him nervously. "What?"

"You didn't freak."

Tails stared at him, then a slow grin spread across his face. "I didn't, did I?" The grin disappeared as he added, "But I might. If we go anywhere and you do it again."

Knuckles smirked. "Tell you what. When we go out, I'll leave the fish dinners behind, how about that? Long's you don't eat anything else, we should be fine." He considered. "Just don't go feral on passers-by and we'll be okay."

Tails' face dropped and he fixed Knuckles with a haunted expression.

"How can I avoid going feral when I can't even remember doing it?"

The echidna shrugged. "No idea. But I think before this you'd have tried to take a chunk out of me for thumping you on the back, and you didn't now, so that's a good sign."

"Yeah!" Tails' ears perked excitedly again. "Maybe my idea of talking to rocks was a good one!"

"_Whose_ idea?" Knuckles said sharply.

"You'd never've thoughta it if I hadn't suggested it to you," Tails dared to say.

"You want another soaking, Tails?"

Knuckles regretted his threat a few seconds later, as Tails hopped out the boat and, turning his back, proceeded to use both namesakes as propellers to spray the echidna liberally with water.

A little unnerved by his own daring, Tails spun around to keep an eye on Knuckles, only to find that – despite his unwelcome shower – the echidna wasn't even looking at him.

"Knuckles?" Tails hovered a good ten or twelve feet above the echidna, squinting down at him.

"I think I see land."

"Huh? Where?" Disarmed, Tails flew down to stand next to him, looking up into his face earnestly. "I can't see land, Knux."

"Right there." Knuckles pointed and Tails stepped forward, one foot on the edge of the boat as he peered ahead.

"I still can't see it. Where is it, Knux?"

"Somewhere down there, kid." Before Tails had time to react, Knuckles had seized him, lifted him off the boat and dunked him under the water.

Diving down, wriggling out of the echidna's hold, Tails emerged spitting water and glaring at Knuckles.

"Knucklehead! That was _mean_!"

Knuckles raised an eye ridge. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never said I could see land above the water."

"You're not s'posed to play jokes like that though," Tails said accusingly, landing on the boat and shaking himself dry for the second time that afternoon. "You're s'posed to be the solid, serious, dignified, boring guy!"

"That doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humour." Knuckles folded his arms. "And I'm not boring. I just don't make a joke of everything like Sonic does, that's all."

Tails scowled at him and turned away pointedly, opening containers at random, searching for a towel.

He didn't find one, but he did come across something interesting enough to make him forget his sulks for the minute. "Ooh! Knux, look!"

The echidna glanced over to see Tails holding a pair of boots in the same design as his own, only smaller and coloured jet black with what looked like white flames raking up the sides.

"C'n I have them?" Tails asked. "Please?"

"Will they fit you?"

"Uh…I think so. Lemme check." Sitting down, Tails pulled one on. "Well…they're a little big, but I'll grow into 'em, right Knux? How come they're still here?"

The echidna allowed a trace of racial pride to creep into his voice. "When my people make things, Tails, they stay made. Plus the fact these containers were probably vacuum sealed until you came along and opened them," he added.

"Vacuum sealed?" Tails stopped trying to tug the other boot over his foot and looked at the container eagerly. "How'd they do that, Knux?"

"I don't know," the echidna said candidly. "I'm not a scientist, in case you hadn't noticed. Take it apart if you want—"

"_Yeah_! Alright!" Tails reached out with such eagerness that Knuckles was barely quick enough to grasp his wrist.

"—_after_ we get a replacement Emerald and get it back to Angel Island," the echidna finished sternly.

"Aw, _Knux_." Tails fixed him with a big-eyed look that suggested Knuckles had just forced him to eat his own tail, then returned his attention to the boots. "Well…okay, if I get to keep the boots."

Knuckles shrugged. "You want 'em, you take 'em. It's not like they're ever gonna get any use otherwise."

"Yeah!" Tails said again, pulling the other one on, then frowning quizzically at it. "Hey, I think they made this one bigger than the other."

"Possibly," the echidna said, arms folded, "or maybe the fixings are a little loose."

Tails turned the quizzical frown on Knuckles. "What fixings?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes and crouched down. "Alright, fine. If you're gonna wear echidna boots, I guess you should at least know how they work."

"I know how they work, Knux; you put them on an' they stop you getting sore feet."

"Very funny, Tails. See these?" Knuckles pointed to the metal cylinders on top of the boot, then to the one closest to Tails' ankle. "Turn it inwards and it moves the heel inwards, turn it outwards and—"

"—it moves it outwards?" Tails chipped in.

"You got it. The middle one does the middle part and the bottom one does the toes. You won't see any difference – it's all internal – but you'll feel it."

"Okay. What about these?" Tails pointed to the other three and Knuckles shrugged.

"Same thing. They just do the other side, that's all."

The fox studied his boots, then Knuckles'. "Wow. I thought those metal thingies were only there to look cool."

"They do that as well," Knuckles admitted, "but they were developed as a kind of more efficient, more comfortable alternative to straps and laces."

"_Cool_!" Tails started turning cylinders, feeling the cold metal bands grind inwards to grip his feet securely.

"You'll need socks," Knuckles remarked.

"Yeah, sure, okay, later," Tails said, not looking up. "Thanks Knux! I owe you one!"

"You owe me six or seven, kid, but who's counting?" In spite of his words, the echidna felt a twinge of guilt; he should have sorted out footwear for Tails as soon as he'd got the fox out the mines, only with one thing and another he'd never got round to it.

Tails finished adjusting the other boot and took off, noticing how much heavier they were compared to his old sneakers.

Something caught his eye, a thin line on the horizon and he frowned, then landed back in the boat with a bump.

"Hey Knux! I think I can see land! Look!" The fox pointed in the direction he'd been looking in a minute earlier.

Knuckles snorted. "Right, kid. How dumb do you think I am? I'm not falling for that one."

"No, honest. C'mon!" Tails grabbed Knuckles under the arms and hoisted him into the air, rotating around and ignoring the echidna's protests. "Over there. See?"

Knuckles followed his gaze, caught sight of the land in question and stopped protesting.

"Hey, you were right."

"You don't have to sound so surprised," Tails said peevishly. "What Zone is it?"

"How the hell should I know? It's just a smudge on the skyline at the minute. Wherever it is, it's gotta have some better food than the stuff we've been getting. If I have to eat one more fish…" Knuckles let the sentence trail off impressively.

Tails brightened as he lowered the echidna back into the boat. "Does that mean I can have your share?"

"It _means_ that you better start propelling like you've never propelled before, either tonight or tomorrow," Knuckles retorted.

Tails looked longingly at Knuckles' portion of fish, then up at the echidna again. "I'll do it tonight if I get the fish, Knux."

Knuckles folded his arms. "Has your heart always lived in your stomach, Tails, or did it just decide to move there while you're staying with me?"

Tails glanced back at the fish, zoomed in, grabbed it and was back in position on the side of the boat and moving it through the ocean before Knuckles had time to react.

Half irritated, half amused, Knuckles sat down on the bench and picked up some of the seaweed that was left.

It was late the following morning when they finally arrived – Knuckles had prised Tails off the side of the boat long enough for the fox to get some sleep – and Tails' enthusiasm almost ran them aground on one of the black rocks jutting up from the water.

"Nice going," Knuckles said, so levelly that Tails wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Thanks. C'mon. Let's see what's up there." Tails pointed up the sheer cliff in front of them. There was nowhere to moor the boat – and nothing to moor it with, for that matter; Knuckles had been counting on being able to drag it onto dry land – and so Tails simply grabbed Knuckles and lifted him out of it, not stopping until they reached the top of the cliff.

In Knuckles' opinion, it wasn't worth the flight. The place looked like one gigantic swamp; dead trees and brown grass along with algae covered every surface. There were other cliffs and mesas, ones which seemed to be scattered about the Zone.

Knuckles stared around. "Where _are_ we?"

There was a sudden warmth against his leg as Tails pressed close. All levity and enthusiasm was gone; the fox was now so tense he was quivering slightly.

"Knux?" It was barely a whisper. "Knux, we gotta get outta here. Right now. C'mon."

"You know this place?"

"I know about it," Tails said, his voice still almost inaudible.

"Then would you mind telling me exactly what the _hell_ is going on!" Knuckles said stridently.

"Ssh!" Tails reached up and put a hand over the echidna's mouth. "They'll hear you!"

Pulling the hand away by the wrist, Knuckles stared down at the fox. "Then they'll hear me. What do you mean, _they_? Who are you talking about?"

"Nobody knows. Nobody's ever seen them 'cause they don't like visitors." Tails shivered. "C'mon Knux, we gotta go. Now."

The echidna hesitated, then made up his mind. It wasn't like Tails to panic for no reason.

"Fine. Where do we…" He broke off suddenly, staring. "What in the name of all the Emeralds is _that_?"

Tails followed his gaze, yelped in alarm and seized Knuckles' arm, tugging hard. He might as well have tried to move the mountain for all the effect he had; Knuckles was still staring at the phenomenon that had occupied his attention.

Mist. Or possibly smoke; it was hard to tell the difference. It was the colour that fascinated the echidna; it was bright blue and totally opaque, like a wall of cloud.

"Knuckles!"

"Not now. I want a closer look at this." Knuckles stepped forward and Tails hesitated in an agony of indecision before flying up in front and slapping the echidna across the face as hard as he could.

Reeling from the blow (not to mention the shock) Knuckles stared at the fox.

"Damn, kid, what was _that_ for?"

"_We have to go_ _NOW_!" Tails yelled, practically into Knuckles' ear. The echidna winced away, lashing out reflexively against the pain and accidentally catching the fox on the shoulder, knocking him six feet sideways.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" he demanded, or tried to; at that point the mist enveloped them completely and he lost sight of Tails.

Knuckles stared around wildly, turning. He couldn't see anything except bright blueness, couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. It was like a form of technicolour blindness.

"Tails! Tails, where are you?" Some hidden agency caught his words and snatched them away before firing them back at him from all sides simultaneously.

"Knuckles!" Tails' voice had the same effect, but the echidna thought it was louder from his left – coupled with the memory of where he'd last seen Tails – and so he stepped in that direction.

Something small and furry cannoned into him at stomach height, winding him and knocking him off his feet.

"Knux? Knux, is that you?" The echidna felt Tails' hands patting around his body in an attempt to identify him.

"Yeah, it's me. What's going on?"

"I dunno but I've heard it's always like this here."

"You been here before?" Knuckles started to edge away, keeping Tails close.

"Kinda. I never got caught in the mist though. But I'm not scared," Tails informed him, although his voice shook very slightly. "I on'y rushed over like that in case _you_ were. Are you?"

"No," Knuckles lied. "C'mon kid, let's get out of here."

"Oh, _now_ he listens," Tails muttered, not quite under his breath.

"Don't start," the echidna told him curtly, a curtness that covered up his own sense of guilt.

"Okay. But I told you so."

"Tails!"

"Well, I did."

Knuckles glanced in the fox's direction. He could hear the thinly disguised nerves under the impudence and despite himself was worried. It took a hell of a lot to frighten Tails.

He felt the fox seize his arm and for once didn't object. Tails wasn't doing it for reassurance this time (at least, not wholly) but for location. If he let go, the only way Knuckles would find the fox again in this mist would be to trip over him.

"Can you fly me up?" he asked.

Tails shook his head, forgetting that Knuckles couldn't see him, then said, "Uh uh. With all these branches an' rocks sticking out...I don't wanna do that unless I know where I'm going."

The echidna swore under his breath, then said, "Well, I guess it's not too bad. Maybe we could find someone."

Tails ducked both namesakes between his legs. "I don't wanna find anyone, Knux. Not here."

Knuckles stopped edging away. "What do you know about this place, kid?"

"I know we gotta get out of it," Tails said stubbornly.

The echidna hesitated, then nodded once. "Yeah, you're right. Get on my back; I'll try and find a way out."

Tails shifted his weight uneasily. "Why've I gotta get on your back, Knux?"

"Three reasons. Firstly because it's the easiest way for us to not lose each other in this mist, or whatever the hell it is. Secondly because I might need my hands to climb up or down something, and that'll be a lot easier if I'm not using 'em to hold onto you. And thirdly because if we walk off the edge of a cliff, it'll be much easier in that position for me to glide you down or you to fly me up. Now get on if you want to leave this place."

Still Tails didn't move. "You mean...you don't mind?"

"Why would I have told you to do it if I minded?" Knuckles retorted. "Have some sense, would you?"

He felt Tails edging around, using his hands to find the echidna's back, and crouched down to make it easier for him.

"For the love of the Emeralds, kid, just _jump_," he snapped as Tails tried to climb on gingerly and slid off for the third time. "It's not like you're gonna knock me over."

"I can't see to jump in this blue stuff, Knux!" Tails protested.

There was no arguing with this, as Knuckles realised for the first time that he couldn't even see the ground anymore.

"You must have done this with—" The echidna broke off. He had been about to say _with Sonic_, but the words didn't sound right. Sonic only ever carried Tails in front, in his arms, purely because of the blade-like quills sticking out of his back.

"Nuh uh," Tails said, correctly guessing the end of the question. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Put your hands on my shoulders." He waited until Tails had did so – strangely lightly, as though afraid the echidna was going to throw him off at any second – then added, "Now hop up and wrap your legs around my waist. I dunno what's the matter with you, kid; we've done this before."

"'S different now, 'sall," Tails mumbled, but he hopped up obligingly, worming both arms around Knuckles' neck and dropping his head between the echidna's shoulders, underneath the shorter central spine.

"You can get down as soon as we're out of here, kid. Now hang on; we're going."

It was easier said than done, Knuckles soon discovered. He remembered what the land around them had looked like before the mist had hit, remembered that solid ground lay in every direction except behind them.

Or did it? He'd turned around for Tails to get on his back, and when he was calling for the kid. Had he ended up facing the cliff edge? Would he walk blindly forwards to his death?

_Stop that_, he ordered sharply. _If you fall off, you'll just glide. Piece of cake. Now move!_

He couldn't. Surrounded in all directions – above and below – by nothing but pure blue, Knuckles couldn't make his body believe that there would be anything there to support his weight if he stepped forward.

"Knux? Are we going?"

Knuckles almost jumped – he'd been so wrapped up in his own concerns that he'd temporarily forgotten his passenger – then nodded curtly.

"Yeah. Hold on." He took a step forward, then, finding that the ground held him, broke into a run.

Knuckles didn't fall off the cliff into the ocean, but his relief at this was short lived since he ran straight off another after he'd only been going a few minutes. Instinctively he flared his spines, slowing his descent, having no idea where he was heading until he crashed into what felt like a cliff at full speed and half slid, half fell down to the bottom where his head hit a rock with an audible crack.

"What _is_ this Zone?" he managed to get out through clenched teeth, fighting to stay conscious. He thought he half heard Tails answer before blacking out, but the fox's voice was so quiet that Knuckles wondered if he'd imagined it.

"Genocide City."

**Okay, I'm back from holiday so regular updates should resume :P Hope you liked this one and if you read, please review!**


	6. Into the Fire

**Asher Tye: Thanks :) Genocide City...yes, it did show up in the games...technically ;) It was a level for _Sonic 2_ (Genesis) that was designed but which never made it into the final cut. If you have a beta copy and hack into the levels, you can see it on the level select screen, but it was never designed (if you select it, there's just a blue screen and Sonic falls and dies instantly).**

**Kj: Thanks :) As to explaining SA1 and SA2...fair question. I think of them as stand-alone games; good for backstories and such, but not officially within the Mobian timeline; even when playing them I've always considered the locations to be on Earth, not Mobius. How did Sonic & Co wind up on Earth? I've no idea :P Perhaps it was a forerunner for _Sonic X_ (weg)**

**In any case, this series is based on the concept of the games, but not following each and every one of them religiously. For the sake of argument here, SA1 and SA2 didn't happen (remember way back in _Secrets of the Emeralds_ Sonic came face to face with Shadow and had no idea who he was ;))**

**Private somebody: Thanks; glad you liked it :D Heh...I think Knuckles does have a sense of humour; like you say, he did love dropping Sonic and Tails in it (often literally ;)) and let's not forget him teasing Tails in _Sonic Heroes_ :P And yes, Genocide City was beta version of _Sonic 2_. I saw a hoax screen from it on the official beta site, and it pretty much inspired me there and then :P**

**TC Chan: Thanks :D Knuckles...I think he is still the dark mysterious warrior echidna, but he does have a sense of humour, and he's relaxed enough around Tails to (occasionally) let it show. And I think you're probably right about Tails; he'll get his own back on Knux soon enough ;)**

**Maverick87: (blushes and bows) I thank you :D**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_I am now very wet, and even more pissed off. Damn Robuttnik and his screwed up steering! I don't care WHAT he was trying to avoid; he should have warned me before swerving like that, or at least put up a guard rail around that damn jacuzzi to stop poor little hedgehogs like me falling in and getting soaked! (shivers) Not fun. So not fun._

_Oh yeah, we got shot down and crashed on an alien planet._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Sonic fell in the jacoozy and the ship's crashed on a weerd wurld. Dunno wat's owt their but I dont wanna no neither._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

For the first time in his life, Sonic was glad that Robotnik built such strong fortresses; the shock as they landed was enough to almost send his feet through his head.

"Perhaps I should have warned you about the impact," Robotnik remarked.

"Perhaps you _should_," Sonic grated from his position underneath a chair, four toolkits and three separate control panels. "Not all of us have your natural cushioning, doc."

"Now, was that really called for?" Robotnik answered composedly. "To be honest, Sonic, I thought that when one is on a ship that has just been blasted out the sky by one's unknown enemies, one's own common sense should tell one that one is about to hit the ground with a little more force than normal."

"What one is one talking about here?" Sonic said, with more defiance than grammar.

Robotnik sighed, the sigh of a man doomed to making comments which pass over everyone else's head. "Never mind. Suffice it to say that I thought you'd realise about the impact when we started to crash in this place."

"Yeah? And just what _is_ this place?"

"I'm not sure, Sonic," Robotnik admitted, "but I don't think the natives want us here."

"What tipped you off?" Sonic demanded, struggling to his feet. "The missiles? Are we safe in here, doc?"

"Well, that does rather depend on your definition of _safe_, Sonic. If you mean, is the Egg Carrier Three going to melt or dissolve or be adversely affected by the hostile conditions surrounding us, the answer is _no_. If you're asking me whether it's tough enough to keep our little welcoming committee out, then I don't know."

"Welcoming committee, huh?" Raker glanced at the airlock. "Maybe we could throw the bait to them."

"Try it," Sonic invited coolly. "If you survive it, I swear that when we get back, I'll take you for everything you got. I don't care if it costs me every Mobium I possess, I'll take you down."

"And just how many Mobiums _do_ you possess, Sonic?" Raker sneered.

"About seventy million."

The sneer dropped off Raker's face and he and Bait stared at Sonic with identical expressions of incredulity and disbelief.

"_How_ many?"

"Seventy million. Seventy five when my next royalty cheque clears, I imagine. Not that it's anything to do with you."

"Half of that should be mine, Sonic," Robotnik remarked from where he was hard at work on something. "After all, if I hadn't done what I did, you wouldn't have come out of it all as the big hero, would you?"

"Get blunted," Sonic told him. "C'mon Bait. If we're not going outside and we're not going home, we might as well relax."

"We gonna go back to the jacuzzi?"

The hedgehog shivered. "How about a movie instead?"

"You're going to the cinema?" Robotnik looked up from his wiring. "Excellent. I could do with a break."

"_You're_ coming?" Sonic said, staring at him.

"Of course. Even geniuses like myself need a little downtime now and again. Why?"

"I just think there's something very wrong about you and me going to the movies together!" Sonic shook his head. "Let me remind you, doc, we're _enemies_."

"We made a truce, didn't we?" Robotnik spread his hands out to the side, a mocking little smile on his face. "What's the matter, Sonic? Don't you trust me?"

"No," Sonic said again, biting the word off at the end.

The smile broadened. "A good answer. But if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so by now. As it is, you were right. I need you in order to stay alive, and you need me to get back home again. And the cinema was designated neutral territory, remember?"

Yes, Sonic remembered. They'd both fought hard for it and in the end had reluctantly agreed to share it.

"In any case," Robotnik added, "I've had ample opportunity to kill you and haven't so far."

"You had ample opportunity to kill me last time I was here, and you didn't. Given what else you did to me, I don't find it very reassuring."

The doctor shrugged, a small smile on his face. "All in the past now, Sonic, surely?"

"I'm still waiting for you to give me one good reason not to finish you off," Sonic informed him tightly.

"You haven't the first idea how to fly my Egg Carrier," Robotnik said calmly.

There was a silence.

"Okay," Sonic said, "so give me another reason."

Robotnik shrugged. "I can't, Sonic, because whatever I say you're going to accuse me of lying."

"He does have a point there," Raker drawled.

"Shut up," Sonic said automatically. "C'mon Bait. Let's go."

Bait followed the hedgehog obediently, heading for the cinema and the stash of movies there.

_Two hundred and forty seven_? Sonic thought, glancing at the stash in question and remembering Robotnik's description. _More like two hundred and forty seven thousand_. It looked like every movie ever released on Mobius was there.

"So what we gonna watch?" Bait asked. The hedgehog shrugged.

"Don't mind. It's your turn to pick."

The jackal flicked through the movies. "_The Campfire Slasher_?"

"No."

"_Return of the Campfire Slasher_?"

"No."

"_Son of the Campfire Slasher_?"

"No. Anyway, that one's a remake."

"_The Campfire Slasher Does Turquoise Hill Zone_?"

"No."

"_The Campfire Slasher's Untimely Demise_?"

"I don't think so."

"_The Campfire Slasher's Even More Untimely Resurrection_?"

"_No_. Look, kiddo, can't you pick something a little more, well, friendly?"

Bait frowned slightly as he studied the movies. "How 'bout _Harvest Kids_?"

Sonic snorted. "Yeah, right. Is that the original movie or one of the thirty seven sequels?" He shook his head. "Bait, forget it; you can't handle these kind of movies."

"Can so!" Bait protested defiantly.

"Right. You remember the last horror movie you saw? What was it? _Heebie-Jeebies_?" The hedgehog shook his head again. "If you're gonna pick movies that give you nightmares, kiddo, at least pick good ones."

The jackal jammed hands on hips to glower at Sonic. "I can watch _anythin'_ you can!"

Sonic met Bait's glare with a calm look. "Alright, fine; _I_ can't watch movies like this, so pick something we can both watch, okay?"

Bait snorted. "An' I s'pose your puttin' _Feral Graveyard_ on dunt count as watchin'?"

Sonic folded his arms. "And I suppose _your_ waking me up in the middle of the night and begging me to search the entire Egg Carrier Three for zombies doesn't count as being affected by horror movies?"

"This ain't zombies an' anyhow, I was sleep-beggin'!"

"Not a bad comeback in the time, Bait, but we're still not watching horror."

"You said I could pick."

"And you can, but—"

"Cool!" Bait snatched _Husband of Campfire Slasher_ from the shelf and started to load it into the projector one-handed. Sonic gave up.

"Okay. Fine. But if this one gives you nightmares, you're not watching another one until you hit sixteen!"

"_Yeah_!" Bait sat down on the nearest chair, gazing up at the screen avidly. Sonic supposed he couldn't blame the jackal; apparently Bait had never been to the cinema before meeting Sonic.

The movie actually wasn't that bad, as far as slasher movies went...although by the time the Campfire Slasher killed her first victim, Bait had his eyes tight shut. By the time the third victim was counted, he'd fallen asleep and by the time the Campfire Slasher's husband had fallen so in love with her as to give the whole serial killing thing a try for her sake in an effort to make their relationship work better, Sonic was seriously tempted to join the jackal and was almost _relieved_ when Robotnik showed up.

"You missed the best bits, such as they are," he informed the doctor. "I can't believe Bait actually wants to _watch_ this crap!"

Robotnik didn't have eyebrows to arch, but he did his best. "You're hardly one to talk, Sonic. I seem to remember you insisting on sitting through all fourteen _Campfire Slasher_ movies in one hit, just because they were adult films. You weren't much older than Bait at the time."

It was becoming too sociable for Sonic, and he got to his feet rather abruptly. "Yeah, well, we're done here. The screen's yours."

"I didn't come here to watch movies. I came here to tell you that there's been rather an interesting development."

The hedgehog eyed him suspiciously. In Robotnik's lexicon, _interesting development_ could be anything from Raker putting sugar in the salt shaker to a nuclear warhead.

"What kind of interesting development?"

"You remember that ship that shot us down?"

"Something shot us down, doc?" Sonic feigned surprise, not very well. "Wow! And there was me thinking that you just decided to nosedive into the planet for the hell of it!"

Robotnik growled something under his breath, then fixed Sonic with his best intimidating stare.

"Do you think you could _try_ to at least pretend to work with me? There's no real reason for this hostility towards me."

Sonic snorted. It wasn't hostility on his part; it was plain terror in disguise. The memories of his time in Robotnik's dungeon and various torture chambers were never far off, and he still suffered chronic nightmares about the experience.

Apparently taking the hedgehog's response for a yes, Robotnik went on. "That ship sent us a message, Sonic."

The hedgehog's jaw dropped. "It _what_?"

"Sent us a message," Robotnik repeated, louder this time. "I'm not sure what it says though; it's in some kind of strange foreign language."

"Foreign language?" Sonic echoed.

"Yes, foreign language," Robotnik said with unusual patience. "I just thought you should know, seeing we've become allies, however temporarily."

"Allies?"

"Yes, allies—Sonic, perhaps you ought to get your ears looked at."

Sonic eyed him coldly. "Right. By one of your screwed up creations, no doubt. And it'll just _happen_ to ram the nearest instrument right into my ear and leave me permanently deafened."

"Medical science never was your thing, was it?" Robotnik smirked. "I never touched your ears, Sonic, you know that."

"No. You just made sure I'd never walk again, let alone run."

"Well, I thought I did, but I must admit you seem to have made a full recovery." The doctor shook his head. "I didn't come here to rake up the past, anyway. I just thought you should know about this message, is all."

"Can you translate it?" Sonic asked grudgingly. He hated having to ask Robotnik for help, but the doctor had been right about one thing; what the hedgehog knew about science could be engraved on an atom. Whatever that was.

"No," Robotnik admitted, a little sulkily. "It's no dialect I've ever encountered before, and if I haven't encountered it, I can't do anything about it." He shrugged. "Get me a native speaker and maybe I can make a translator."

Sonic brightened slightly. "Maybe they're the same kinda people we got back home."

"I hope not," Robotnik said flatly. "In case you haven't noticed, Mobians are savage, barbaric, prejudiced and in some cases, purely psychopathic."

The hedgehog raised an eye ridge. "Yeah? And where's the scientific proof of that, doc?"

"What the hell's going on?" Raker demanded from the door.

"It just arrived," Robotnik told Sonic in an aside, then, "I have no idea. At least, I have no idea of the Mobian name."

Sonic stared. "Then you _do_ know where we are?"

"I have a theory, but that's all. My instruments all check out and there's only one planet I know about that has this kind of atmosphere, but it has no life at all."

The hedgehog shifted his weight. "Didn't you just say that this place could support some kind of alien life?"

"Of course I did," Robotnik said composedly, "but that's not proven."

"Excuse me?" Sonic's expression shifted into a glare. "I'd say the homing missiles and that weird language message thingy proved it pretty conclusively!"

"Interesting hypothesis, Sonic – if somewhat unscientific – but not entirely accurate," Robotnik informed him. "It proves that there are other people on this world, but they may simply be visiting like we are. They may have been sucked through the Void on their own planet – wherever that may be – and, believing us to be the cause, opened fire in some form of panic or revenge."

Sonic considered his options, discovered that he didn't have any and sighed.

"Okay doc. Talk to me. What do you know about this place?"

"Well...what I know might not be completely accurate," Robotnik admitted.

"Meaning...?"

"To use an analogy, let's take my version of Mobius. Firstly, my kind don't call it Mobius and secondly, humans are the only race to evolve. On your version, you have no humans but every single animal race has evolved to make up. So if this is where I think it is, no life exists in my dimension but something might well have evolved in yours. Or we may well have been sent into a third dimension." Robotnik considered. "Of course, it could just be another planet with near identical specifications as the other, but I doubt it."

"So what _is_ this planet?" demanded Sonic, who had been trying to break into this scientific monologue for the past four sentences. "Potentially, I mean."

"Your friend Knuckles would call it the _Miri bi-Pabir_. Literally translated that means the Star of Hate, or the Hate Star." Robotnik chuckled. "Echidnas were never great ones for romanticising the heavens."

Perhaps not, but Sonic had to admit the name fit. With the raging winds, sulphuric acid, extreme heat and oppressive atmosphere...yes, you could well believe that this planet had a grudge against somebody.

Then Robotnik's words registered fully and he stared at the man.

"_You_ speak _Sargaryarn_? Knux wouldn't even teach _me_ that!"

"Given your accent, I'm not surprised," Robotnik told him, "but yes, I speak very basic Sagayan. You're forgetting it was me who went back in time to give the echidnas the Master Emerald." He shrugged. "I had to learn a few words for them to understand what I wanted. They're somewhat arrogant and won't even consider listening to you unless you can explain it in terms they can understand."

"What, monosyllabic?"

"You know you wouldn't like Knuckles to hear you say that. Anyway, we're getting off the subject, so to summarise; yes, I speak pidgin Sagayan."

"You once told me you couldn't."

"I've told you a lot of things, Sonic." Robotnik shook his head. "In this case, it doesn't matter except to determine our location."

"What'd your kind call this place?"

"Venus. Also the Evening Star." The doctor sat down and leaned back in a chair, which groaned slightly. "And if we want to get home again, Sonic, we're going to need to find a way to explore."

"A planet that incinerates, suffocates, corrodes and flattens you all at the same time?" Sonic said disbelievingly. "After you. Why don't you send one of your robots?"

"Because even my robots can't withstand these kinds of conditions for very long and in any case, we couldn't use them to communicate." Robotnik considered. "I do have a slight idea, though. Leave it with me for a couple of days and I'll let you know how it goes."

In fact, it was a whole week later when Robotnik finally completed his work and emerged from his lab to look for Sonic, eventually finding him curled up on a sun lounger while Bait swam happily in the pool.

"I've duplicated and redesigned my Egg-O-Matic," Robotnik announced to the room in general.

Sonic barely lifted his eyes from his magazine as he answered, "And we care about this _why_, exactly?"

"Because that's how we're going to explore this world."

The hedgehog's jaw dropped. "We're going to _what_?"

"Explore the world," Robotnik repeated. "Do pay attention, Sonic; I told you about this a week ago."

"You didn't say you'd want _me_ to come."

"Is the great Sonic frightened?" Robotnik sneered.

"You bet," Sonic answered composedly, returning his attention to his magazine and whistling softly. "Oh man; hovercar insurance has gone up again."

"What do you care, Sonic? You don't even have a provisional licence." Robotnik shook his head. "What am I saying? We're going out to look around this place and try and find someone who can get us back home."

"I hope that was a royal _we_, doc, because I'm not going."

"You're turning down a whole new world to explore."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Lemme guess; this is the part where you stuff a fish in my ear?"

Robotnik chuckled. "I see you've been indulging yourself in some of the stories from my world. And no, it's not. This is the part where I tell you I've put up shields around the new Egg-O-Matics, shields identical to the ones the Egg Carrier Three uses. We'll be safe as houses."

"I'd find that a lot more reassuring if I hadn't seen several houses burn down in my life, doc."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Do you want to go home or don't you?" Robotnik spread his hands out to the side. "Look, Sonic, you think I'd go out if there was the slightest chance it _wasn't_ safe? I have every faith in my scientific genius. Why can't you do me the same courtesy."

Sonic's eyes snapped back to the doctor, full of green ice. "Possibly because I still remember everything I've been through at the hands of your so-called _genius_. How do I know this thing won't spring a leak?"

"Would it make you feel better if I let you pick first?" Robotnik asked, with the air of one climbing down as gracefully as possible.

"No."

"Fine, then we'll do this the hard way." Before Sonic had time to react, Robotnik had seized his arm and pulled him up, catching the hedgehog by surprise.

"_Get the hell off me_!" Sonic practically screamed at him, yanking free and backing off.

"Not until you agree to help me, Sonic. We had a deal, remember?" There was a smug expression on Robotnik's face, brought about by Sonic's extreme reaction. "Dear dear, anyone would think you were actually _frightened_ of me."

"You wish," Sonic said flatly. It wasn't quite a lie – Robotnik didn't frighten him so much as the thought of being trapped in the fortress did – but it wasn't the entire truth either.

"At least look, Sonic," Robotnik persisted. "Take a look at what I've done and then if you want to refuse, we'll say no more about it. I think it only fair to warn you, though; if I meet someone out there who can send me home, I'll abandon this fort in a heartbeat."

"After all the work you put into it?"

"Funnily enough, Sonic, since you took against me I've almost become used to building fortresses of doom over and over again. It's amazing how much money you can save when you recycle things though. Now let's go."

Reluctantly, Sonic put his magazine to one side and followed Robotnik, Bait padding anxiously alongside.

Upon reaching the room that Sonic had dubbed 'the hangar', the hedgehog saw Robotnik hadn't been exaggerating; there were four Egg-O-Matics lined up in a row, three of them so new they gleamed. A heavy shield surrounded them, turning them into what looked like titanium balls (currently cut in half to allow the occupants inside) but the vehicles themselves were still recognisable.

"I've installed a radio so we can keep in constant contact," Robotnik added.

"Why are we going out, anyway?" Raker demanded from where he was already inside one of the vehicles.

"Because someone tried to contact us and they don't speak our language," Robotnik said, in the over-patient tones of someone who's had to make his point several times already and can see himself making it several times more before he's much older. "If we can come face to face, we might be able to communicate using sign language."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Great. We're about to fly onto a weird planet in big metal balls to play charades with a gang of aliens. Could my life get any crazier?"

"I sincerely doubt that, Sonic," Robotnik informed him as he clambered into his own Egg-O-Matic. "Now pick your vehicle."

"Sonic?" Bait said suddenly.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Am I gonna get to drive one a them ball things?"

Sonic glanced down at him and saw the hope in the jackal's brown eyes.

"If I go, you come with me."

"Cool!" Bait raced over to another vehicle as fast as his injuries would allow and scrambled in, locating the button marked _Shield_ and pushing it, causing the half behind him to flip over and seal him in with a loud _clang_.

Sonic hesitated, then thought _what the hell_. Robotnik had a point; if it was even slightly dangerous, there was no chance the doctor would do it. The guy's love of danger extended as far as it had to for him to pick fights with Sonic, and not an inch further.

Leaping into his own vehicle, Sonic saw that the controls were identical to the ones he'd experienced when he'd stolen Robotnik's Egg-O-Matic back on Angel Island. That was something; at least the doc's machines were _simple_.

There was a series of _clangs_ as he and the other two locked their own shields into place, followed by a sudden burst of static that gradually turned into Raker's voice.

"Forgive my scepticism," the jackal drawled over the radio, "but if these things can't withstand a fight with a hedgehog, how the _hell_ are they going to survive a homing missile if our friends up there decide to try and finish the job?"

"If you don't like it, you can go out without one," Robotnik informed him over the radio. "Sonic, are you ready?"

"No," Sonic said, biting the word off at the end.

"Splendid." Robotnik pushed a button and the airlock slid open with a hiss, revealing the outside world.

**Okay, 'nother part finished :P Hope you liked it and if you read, please review!**


	7. Genocide City Zone

**D.C.111: Thanks, glad you liked it :D**

**Awdures: Heh...the site does tend to have those, doesn't it? (sighs) Another reason why the update was slightly slower; I couldn't access the logon page. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it!**

**Shadow-spawn180: Well...it's certainly A Venus...whether it's ours or not remains to be seen. (_Robotnik: Raker gets an Egg-O-Matic because there's no way I'm trusting him to be left alone in my fortress, that's why!_)**

**TC Chan: (grins) Glad I surprised you (and also glad you liked the part about the movies as well :P) As for what Robotnik watches...well, somebody had to pick the movies for the Egg Carrier Three, didn't they:P**

**Matri90: Thanks :)**

**Private somebody: Thanks :D It certainly looks that way ;) (_Robotnik: We weren't discussing MY species)_ And yes; I liked the idea of Earth and Mobius being identical but in different dimensions, so I decided to use it ;)**

**Hawk's Soul: Heh. No, you're not wrong about Raker; he could probably go wherever he wanted :P And thanks; I'm glad you enjoyed it :D**

**OhNoez: Heh, thanks :D**

**Riven K. Daniel: Thanks, and you shall have more ;)**

**MCM: Thanks :) Sonic and Eggman…it's about to get tenser ;)**

_Guardian's Log no. 11495_

_The good news is that we're no longer adrift on the Shining Sea. The bad news is that we're stranded in blue mist and my head is killing me._

_Tails said something about Genocide City. I wonder what he meant by that?_

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_Genocide City Zone! Oh man...I hate this place! I've never been this far in because if I had I wouldn't be alive to write this! We have to get out of here!_

_--Tails_

Knuckles opened his eyes groggily, fighting back unconsciousness.

_Where...what is this...where the hell am I_?

He got his answer a few seconds later as memory surged in and he stared around at the blue surroundings. Just what the hell _was_ this stuff?

"Tails!" Somehow, he'd become separated from the fox. He supposed he must have dropped him while falling.

"Knuckles?" Tails' uncharacteristically nervous voice seemed to come from all directions at once and the echidna stared around.

"Tails, where are you?"

"_Knuckles_!" This time the voice seemed more from behind him and the echidna leapt to his feet and whirled.

"Tails, tell me where you are!"

"I dunno, Knux. It's all blue an' I can't see."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, the echidna thought to himself furiously. Of course Tails wouldn't be able to see where he was!

"Are you okay?"

"Uh huh...I think so. Knux, where are you?"

Knuckles swore viciously. "Just stay where you are, kid! I'm coming to find you!"

He took a step forward, tripped over an invisible rock and promptly fell flat on his face. Pushing himself to his feet, muttering something uncomplimentary under his breath, he started forward again, feeling each step carefully this time.

He was making quite good progress (although he had no idea where he was progressing _to_) when something small and furry raced into him. Reaching down automatically, Knuckles caught hold of it, eliciting a very familiar yelp.

"Tails! Tails, it's me!" The echidna shoved the back of one hand into Tails', allowing the fox to feel the distinctive spikes there.

"Knux!"

The echidna tightened his hold. "Hang onto me, kid!"

Not that Tails really needed any encouragement, he mused; the fox was gripping him so tightly his extremities were starting to tingle.

For his part, Tails wasn't too unnerved to notice that Knuckles seemed to be holding onto him almost as tightly as he was holding the echidna. That thought made him feel better.

"Guess I'm not the only one who's scared, huh Knux?"

Knuckles stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry. I meant, guess I'm not the only one who's feeling _cautious_." Tails' tone was a little too innocent for the echidna to buy it, but he let it go.

"Fine. Now ease up on the hold, Tails, you're pinching me."

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna let you wander off by yourself again, Knux!" Tails said fiercely. "You might get hurt!"

"I think I already did, kid." Knuckles turned around. "C'mon, get on. We gotta keep moving."

It says something for Tails' nerves that he didn't protest or hesitate like he usually did but scrambled onto the echidna's back obligingly, clinging like a limpet.

"Don't you dare drop me, Knux."

"Don't jump off," Knuckles retorted as he started walking. "What do you know about this place, Tails?"

"I came here before with Sonic, when I was a cub." Tails shivered. "We got to the entrance an' then the blue mist started coming towards us and we ran. Nobody's _ever_ escaped from this place, Knux."

"There's always a first time."

"Nuh uh. Every Zone sent in people and all that happened was that they said it was all blue and they were falling. I didn't know what they were talking about then, but I guess I do now."

"Yeah." Knuckles looked around at the blue mist, which showed no signs of abating.

"Knux, are you okay?"

"Fine."

"On'y I can't see but it feels kinda like you're limping."

"Hurt my ankle when I landed. It'll be fine."

It probably would have been too, if Knuckles hadn't accidentally caught it in an unseen hole and twisted it badly, spilling both the fox and the echidna sideways onto the ground. Tails yelped, scrabbling out the way as Knuckles landed on one of the fox's namesakes, then felt about frantically until he located the echidna's back and from there managed to wrap both arms around Knuckles' waist and hang on tightly. There was no way he was going to lose Knuckles in this fog, nuh uh!

For a few minutes they just lay there, Knuckles' hoarse breathing taken, magnified and thrown back at them from all sides while the echidna lay on his side and gritted his teeth in an effort not to black out from the pain.

"Knux?" Tails said suddenly.

"What?" Knuckles grated.

"You remember that time when we had to go through the tunnels in Angel Island together? Back when we first met an' Sonic had run on ahead towards Sky Sanctuary?"

A reluctant smile appeared on the echidna's face and he relaxed slightly. "Yeah. All you wanted to do was look at my knuckles and find out how I could fly."

Tails glared at Knuckles, or at least in his general direction. "I was only five!"

"I know," the echidna said, tone so neutral the fox wasn't sure what to make of it.

"And you called me an annoying little turd, remember?"

"Yeah, well, you were at that age."

Tails punched the echidna hard in the shoulder. "Not funny, Knucklehead!"

"So sue me." Knuckles forced himself to his feet and staggered slightly as Tails scrambled onto his back again. "Ow! Damn, kid, _warn_ me when you're gonna do that!"

"I thought you didn't mind," Tails protested.

"I don't, but that's no reason for you to flatten me!"

There was a short pause, then Tails tensed. "Knux?"

"Yeah?"

"Why're you taking my boot off?"

The echidna felt a chill run through his body. "I'm not."

There was a long, horrible silence, then what felt like a bone dry hand touched Knuckles' head and he whirled so fast Tails was almost thrown off.

"Aah! Hey, watch it, Knuckles!"

Knuckles ignored him as he said, "Who's there?"

There was nothing, followed by…not a sound so much as the suggestion of one; the sound of soft, hissing laughter, then something very much like a finger was run down both his arms simultaneously.

"Knux?" Tails' voice was quiet as he pressed closer. "Knux, something just licked my ear."

"The inside or the outside?" Knuckles asked, and immediately wondered why.

"_What does it matter whether it was inside or outside_?" Tails shrieked, right in his ear just as something else caught hold of one of Knuckles' spines. "_We have got to get out of here NOW_!"

"Do you have any ideas _how_?" Knuckles demanded. Something cut into his jaw and he winced away.

"Yeah! Hang on!"

"To what?" Knuckles said, or started to; at that point Tails seized him under the arms and took off, ascending almost vertically in his rush to escape.

It was blind luck that they didn't hit another rock outcropping…especially since Knuckles counted at least twelve branches that Tails ploughed through in his mad flight.

He frowned. Just how high did this mist thing go, anyway? Was it even possible to fly above it?

Almost as soon as he'd wondered it, tropical sunlight lanced into his eyes and he winced, closing them tightly. The sun had moved further than he'd expected; they must have been down there a few hours.

"What _was_ that?" the echidna said eventually, once they were some twenty feet above the mist.

Tails shivered. "I heard stories, Knux. They say the people there are weird and insane and they let you go into the mist so they can play with you some before eating you. I saw the outskirts an' it's all people impaled on pillars and locked up in hanging cages to starve or just hung from trees. We gotta keep going."

Knuckles glanced down at the mist. "Nice place."

Tails shrugged. "They don't call it Genocide City for nothing. Knux, _please_ can we go now?"

"Yeah. You can let go, kid; I'll glide my way to the next Zone."

Tails obeyed with a little more alacrity than was really tactful, but Knuckles barely noticed. His jaw was throbbing now and he brought one hand up to it, brought away a white glove stained with blood.

They continued for some time, Knuckles gliding, Tails flying until the echidna looked up to check on his companion and found he couldn't see him.

"Tails! Tails, talk to me! Where are you?"

A hand seized his wrist tightly and lifted him up.

"You dropped," Tails said, panting for breath; he'd had to dive very fast to reach Knuckles before the echidna fell too far. "You went back into the mist. Knux, maybe I oughta carry you to the next Zone, 'cause I don't want you falling again."

"Never mind me; what about you?" Knuckles looked up at the fox, who now looked to be on the verge of collapse. "You wanna ride?"

Tails shook his head vigorously. "Uh uh! I'm good!"

"You're exhausted," Knuckles corrected him, "and you're flying lower every second." He shook his head. "Let go. Let go before we _both_ go under."

Tails hesitated, then let go obediently and almost dropped on top of the echidna.

"Knux…we been going for hours…I gotta stop…"

"_Here_?" Knuckles said incredulously. "Twenty feet above Genocide City Zone? Are you crazy?" He snorted. "C'mon kid. You withstood all that crap they put you through in the tunnels, so I'm damn sure you can get past this mist!"

He could literally see his words working; Tails' chest swelled rapidly and rather alarmingly and he started beating both namesakes with renewed vigour.

They continued on like this for some hours; Knuckles gliding, Tails flying, lifting him up every time the echidna looked to be in danger of sinking into the mist again and occasionally resting on the echidna's back when he got too tired.

It was almost completely dark when they saw the lights of Metropolis Zone ahead of them, and another two hours had passed before they finally reached it. Half turning, Knuckles landed in the closest alley, and Tails crashed on top of him and was out for the count seconds later. For a minute Knuckles was sorely tempted to wake the kid up and get him to walk to...well, to wherever they were going to stay on the basis that at least he could keep his pride that way.

_Yeah, right. Kid saved your life, Knuckles, and if that doesn't earn him the right to a lift, then just what does?_

Carefully, Knuckles knelt down and lifted the exhausted fox into his arms, settling him and trying not to notice when Tails curled up smaller and half turned to rest his head on the echidna's chest, a small smile of contentment on his face.

_What the hell_, Knuckles thought. _Kid's had precious little contentment recently. Let him stay there._

Besides, he had to admit that it wasn't wholly unpleasant to have someone like and trust you enough to want to snuggle into you. Strange, yes, but not unpleasant.

Glancing down as Tails shifted in his sleep, Knuckles shook his head slightly. Why did people – especially kids – look so much younger and more vulnerable when they slept?

Talking of sleep…Knuckles shook his head irritably. He had to find a place to stay before he was as out of it as Tails.

Ancient echidnas had never needed or used hotels, partly because they rarely had the chance to leave Angel Island and partly because they viewed other races with a suspicion that bordered on the xenophobic and would probably only have accused the manager of ripping them off anyway. Knuckles was no xenophobe, but he did have one trait in common with his ancestors; namely, he had no idea what separated a good hotel from a bad one, which was why he walked straight into the first one he saw, ignoring the broken glass in the main doors and strode right through into reception, Tails fast asleep and now snoring gently in his arms.

"You got a room for the night?" he demanded.

The receptionist didn't look up. "You got fifty Mobiums?"

"Fifty Mobiums!" Knuckles' voice shot up half an octave. "That's outrageous!"

She shrugged. "Say what you like; that's the price. Fifty Mobiums or nothing."

The echidna smirked slightly. "Now you're talking. I'll take the nothing option."

"Fine. There's the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out."

Knuckles closed his eyes and counted to ten, first in Mobian and then, when this failed to have any effect, in Sagayan.

"How about I tell you how your hotel can save a few thousand Mobiums?" he said pleasantly. "Is that worth a bed?"

The receptionist glanced up at him now, half interested, half contemptuous.

"Go on."

"Right." Holding Tails in his arms made it difficult for Knuckles to lean in, but he did the best he could. "You give me a room for...well, however long my friend here needs—" he hefted Tails slightly by way of explanation— "and I promise I won't smash this place up."

The receptionist smiled briefly. "If I press this button, I can have half a dozen security guards here in an instant."

Knuckles smiled back. "Go right ahead. My day's been lousy so far. I could use a little cheering up."

There was a long pause.

"If you don't leave, I'll call Zonal security."

Knuckles snorted. "Like I said, go ahead. Please." He shifted Tails until he could support him on one arm, then casually turned and punched a chunk out of the square pillars. "Damn! Sorry. You know, these things happen so easily."

There was another, even longer pause, then the receptionist reached down and handed over a key, staring at the hole the echidna's fist had made.

"Better." Knuckles took it. "See how the world turns when we all help each other?" Checking the number on the key, he walked over to the elevator and inside, ignoring the hushed comments that had greeted his little demonstration.

The room itself was pleasantly furnished, with twin beds, a bathroom and a large TV. There was no DVD player or VCR, but that was all to the good as far as Knuckles was concerned since he didn't have anything to play on such a device.

Lowering Tails onto the closer of the two beds, he reached down and pulled the blankets out, and hesitated, unsure what to do next. How exactly did one go about tucking someone in?

In the end he settled for draping the blankets over the fox and, exhausted, dropped onto his own bed, asleep almost before he hit the mattress.

For his part, Tails slept through not only that night but the following day and the next night as well, leaving Knuckles feeling increasingly guilty about over-taxing the kid's strength. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, Knuckles was climbing the walls...often literally. There was only so much TV you could watch before it felt like your eyes were about to implode. He'd explored the surrounding neighbourhoods a little, but didn't dare leave Tails alone very long; the last thing he wanted was for the fox to wake up and think he'd been abandoned.

Not that Tails would, Knuckles admitted to himself; the kid had more sense than that. But he still couldn't shake the sense of…of _obligation_, if you like. Unfortunately, he also couldn't shake the sense of boredom that came with it.

It was almost suppertime (and despite his duty, Knuckles was staring out the window and feeling so cooped up that he was sorely tempted to go out anyway) when a voice behind him said, "Knux?"

The echidna turned to see Tails sitting up in bed, blinking owlishly at him.

"How're you feeling?"

The fox licked his lips. "Hungry."

"You're not in any pain?"

"Yeah."

"You are?" Knuckles said, studying the fox intently. Tails didn't look like he'd been injured, but he could easily have tweaked a muscle.

Tails nodded. "Uh huh. I have this real big pain in my stomach. I think it'd go away if I ate something though."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Do you ever think about anything but food?"

"Not when I'm hungry." Tails rolled onto his back and stretched, then closed his eyes. "Still, you don't gotta worry 'bout me, Knux," he added in a small, plaintive voice. "I'll jus' lie here, getting hungrier an' hungrier—" he opened one eye to see if the echidna's heart had been wrung yet, then shut it again hurriedly— "an' _hungrier_, an' wondering when I'm next gonna eat..." He let the sentence trail off, wriggled once or twice to show he was in the grip of dire hunger pangs, then peeked up to see that the echidna was still standing there, only now with foot tapping and trying desperately not to grin.

"Not a bad performance, kid. Sonic teach you that?"

Tails snorted. "Nuh uh! I taught myself when I was a cub. I had to find my own food then, so I used to go up to people and look cute and pretend I was feral. Sometimes they'd gimme a tidbit an' sometimes I'd—" He broke off abruptly.

"What?" Knuckles said.

Tails looked down bashfully. "Well...sometimes I'd do tricks. Y'know, like beg or roll over. I always got more food for that."

The echidna stared at him. "_Tricks_? Like some trained feral? Damn, Tails, don't you have _any_ pride?"

Tails shifted, not liking the contempt in Knuckles' voice. "Not when I was three, Knux. An' when you're real hungry – like I am now – you jus' wanna get food an' you don't care _how_."

"What about your parents?"

Tails shrugged. "Dunno. They died when I was two and I got chucked out the house and into the forest 'cause of foreclosure."

Knuckles' jaw dropped. "They threw you out to live wild in the forest when you were _two_?"

"Yeah. Then Sonic came along and adopted me when I was four." Tails looked away. "I guess he helped me out big time. I was kinda thinking it'd be easier jus' to stay feral. Tourists liked me then 'cause they thought I was cute."

Knuckles shook his head in disbelief. "What'd Sonic say to that?"

"I never told him. I didn't want him to think I was some kinda freak an' leave me behind."

There was a pause.

"I'm still hungry, Knux," Tails pointed out at the end of it, just in case Knuckles hadn't taken the first five hints.

The echidna folded his arms. "What do I look like to you, kid; a damn waiter?"

"Nuh uh, you look like this real cool echidna who's been awake for _ages_ an' so you gotta know where the food is, right?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "I guess I should just be grateful you're back to your old self. I saw a restaurant while I was exploring, one that delivers. I'll give them a call, tell them to send up two of their biggest fish dishes."

Tails frowned slightly. "Well...okay, but what're you gonna have?"

The echidna stared hard at him, although his lips were twitching slightly. "You got the biggest stomach capacity in all the Zones, Tails. You know that, right?"

"Well, it sure _feels_ big, Knuckles, 'cause it's so empty."

"Does the phrase 'single-track mind' mean anything to you?" Knuckles demanded.

"Is that like a single course meal?"

Knuckles turned away rather abruptly, a grin threatening to spread over his face.

"What was that blue stuff?" he said, in an effort to turn the conversation to more serious matters.

"I dunno," Tails said, shivering. "Everyone who went into Genocide City said the same though. They always used to talk about blue mist an' then about falling."

Knuckles could see their point. It would be so easy in that mist to panic, to run blindly and in the end fall off a cliff, or run straight into the eager arms of the waiting inhabitants.

"Knux?"

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna need another boat."

"I hear you." Knuckles raised an eye ridge. "Maybe you could build one."

Tails' ears perked. "Hey, yeah! I haven't built _anything_, Knux, not since they grabbed me in Emerald Hill Zone! Wish I'd brought my toolbox."

Knuckles frowned slightly. "Yeah, where'd you put that thing?"

"I buried it in the Marble Garden Zone."

The echidna snorted. "Tails, is this compulsive burying of treasures typical canine behaviour, or is it just you?"

"I buried it 'cause I didn't want it to get damaged! And anyway, I couldn't build stuff with a broken wrist, could I? Mebbe we can find another toolkit or we could get a boat and kinda change it round." Thinking about the boat put an ugly idea in Tails' mind and he stared at the echidna. "Knux, the people in Genocide City Zone…what if they take the boat and go all over Mobius?"

Knuckles shook his head. "I don't think they're interested in conquest, Tails. If they were, they'd have attacked the whole of Westside Island by now." He paused. "I wonder if they can see in that mist."

"I dunno," Tails said with a shiver. "I'm not gonna go back and ask either. I never wanna come to Westside Island again, _ever_."

"I'm with you." Knuckles settled down on one of the beds and flipped through the TV guide. "We can take the cable car network all the way to Scrap Brain Zone and from there back into the tunnels."

Tails glanced away. He wasn't sure whether the tunnels or the mist was more unnerving.

"When're we gonna go? We're not going today, are we?"

The echidna shot him a look, then relented slightly. "No. No, we're not." Stretching himself out, he added, "Get some rest, kid. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

**Okay, 'nother chapter done! Hope you liked it and if you read, please review!**


	8. Illegal Aliens

**Hawk's Soul: Heh, thanks :D The mist...maybe I'll let that remain a mystery (no pun intended...then again, maybe it was :P) for now ;) And you shall indeed have aggravation between Sonic and Robotnik.**

**Private somebody: Thanks, glad you liked it :) (_Knuckles: Heh. I do tend to save on Mobiums when I travel.)_ The Knuckles and Tails bond...I think it is as deep as Sonic and Tails, but I also think it's a different kind of bond. Tails helps Knuckles to relax and Knuckles knocks the crap out of anyone who threatens the fox.**

**D.C.111: Well...maybe it was ;) I sort of took a little time off to complete and format my latest manuscript which is why it's a little late :P And thanks, glad you liked the bit about the boot (weg) As to when I'm going to update _Rising Star_...the answer to that question is on my profile page and it hasn't changed.**

**Asher Tye: Oh yeah...monster suntan doesn't _begin_ to describe it ;)**

**Matri90: Yep, just as Knux said; back to the tunnels :P**

**DragonUk: Yep, more and more and more and more sequels ;)**

**Overpants: Thanks :D**

**Owl: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it ;) (_Knuckles: What? Some of us have better things to spend fifty Mobiums on than some crappy room in a run-down hotel_)**

**Maverick87: Heh, thanks :D**

**TC Chan: Thanks...as to the rest of it...well, I'd never thought about the Genocide City people, but I promise you they are not made of cheese :P**

**Shadow-spawn180: Thanks :P Knuckles...yeah, I think maybe he is accepting things a little :P**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_I don't believe this. I don't believe Robotnik's things are gonna withstand the conditions outside, I don't believe he's gonna play straight, I don't believe I'm safe flying around in one of his damn contraptions and I really don't believe that I believed all his assurances!_

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_This is neet! I can fly and do all the stuf I never cud befor. Sonic seems nirvus tho. Dont no why._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

"That was _cool_!"

Bait's enthusiastic voice reverberated over the radio and into the pods, just as it had been doing for the last half hour. Even Sonic was getting irritated with the jackal's constant delight in flying the pod, and it was only with a supreme effort that he was reminding himself that Bait had had precious few treats in his life, and the few he _had_ received had only come along after he'd met Sonic.

"Dunt you think it's cool, Sonic?" Bait persisted as he somehow managed to loop the loop.

"Yeah, kiddo. Real cool." Sonic flicked a couple of switches to turn the air conditioning up. "Man, I can't believe I missed a gig in Sky High Zone for this," he muttered.

Most unfortunately, he chose to mutter this without turning the radio off first, with the end result that his words were broadcast loud and clear to the others.

"A gig?" Bait echoed. "Like a singer?"

Robotnik's low chuckle reverberated through all four pods. "Hardly. The hedgehog sings like a duck, or he always used to. Isn't that right, Sonic?"

"I used to be a lead guitarist and singer in a band when I was a kid," Sonic said, ignoring this.

"And not very good at either, if memory serves," Robotnik commented.

"Butt out, doc," Sonic told him curtly. "And no, Bait, I wasn't talking about singing. I was talking about a gig as a DJ."

There was a stunned silence, then the word, "_What_?" came from three separate people simultaneously, and so loudly that there was a whine of feedback.

"A DJ," Sonic repeated, a little put out by this reaction. "It's a sorta hobby of mine. Robotnik's not trying to take over Mobius twenty four seven, and a guy's gotta keep occupied."

"Yes, well, coming up with world domination plans and building various robots takes time, Sonic."

"Still not talking to you, doc. And saying that doesn't count as talking." Sonic swerved rapidly to avoid a sudden eruption of noxious gas.

If the next chuckle was anything to go by, Robotnik was more amused than offended.

"Really, Sonic? What's upset you this time?"

"Your little tendency to try and take over Mobius!"

"Is that all?" Robotnik said calmly. "Well, I am perfectly prepared to _stop_ trying to take over Mobius."

Sonic snorted. "Yeah, right."

"No, I mean it. I'm more than ready to stop roboticising people and waging war on the planet." Robotnik paused. "All that has to happen is for all the Zones to place themselves entirely under my rule and acknowledge me as their lord and master from now until the end of time."

There was no answer – Sonic having been momentarily rendered speechless by this declaration – and for a long time they flew on in silence, broken only when Robotnik suddenly noticed they were no longer flying in a quartet.

"Where did Raker go?" he demanded.

"Who cares?" Sonic muttered. The stuffiness of the pod was really getting to him, and he was in no mood for civil conversation.

"_I_ care, Sonic, not least because he might well go back to the Egg Carrier Three and sabotage the place."

Sonic raised an eye ridge. "You're a paranoid, wannabe ruthless world dictator and self-proclaimed evil genius. Are you seriously telling me you'd leave your fortress of doom unlocked and untrapped?"

"You know me far too well, Sonic. As it happens, yes. I did leave one or two, ah, _precautions_. But if they're used up on Raker, they can't be used on anyone else who might show up." In his pod, Robotnik shrugged. "I'm not in the least bit afraid of Raker, but I don't want my defences depleted on some psychotic jackal when there's the slightest chance that someone else could find the Egg Carrier."

"You think someone knows it's there?"

"Well, maybe the people who tried to contact us, Sonic, and also whoever blasted it out of the sky." Robotnik was still indignant about that.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about those."

"Forgot!" Now Robotnik's moustache, unfortunately hidden from view inside his pod, fairly bristled with indignation. "Does the destruction of my home mean so little to you, Sonic?"

"Given how many of your _homes_ I've wrecked over the years, that point's kinda moot, wouldn't you say?" Sonic retorted. "And on that subject, are we going to zoom about here mindlessly for the rest of our lives or do you actually have some kinda plan?"

"I do, as it happens. My instruments are picking up traces of oxygen – and plenty of it at that – coming from that mountain."

"Yeah?" Sonic frowned. "So...what? We have a planet with hostile air in one bit and good air in another?"

In his pod, Robotnik groaned. What had he done to deserve Sonic?

The thought wasn't a new one; even back when he'd been Dr Kintobor, it had occurred to him more than once. He remembered that he'd been fond of Sonic, but there had been times...uppermost in his mind was the occasion when they'd had a power cut and Sonic, out of a genuine desire to help, had deposited half a pound of potassium rock in the fishbowl, or the occasion when Sonic had been roped in by the local community to blow up balloons, and had decided to do so quickly by fitting them over the nearest Bunsen burners and turning the flame up full. The doctor had heard of other scientists having incapable assistants, but Sonic had been downright dangerous.

"No, Sonic," Robotnik answered as patiently as he could, "we do _not_ have a planet with hostile air in one bit and good air in another. What we might very well have, however, is an artificial facility with artificial air. The oxygen in these pods won't last forever, you know."

Sonic relapsed into an irritable silence and they sped towards the mountain.

Later he would wonder how he could have been so stupid. It became obvious as they drew nearer that this was some kind of building, either built like a mountain or more likely carved into the rock. It wasn't until Sonic – who was flying slightly to the left of Bait and Robotnik – saw the green beam of light erupt from the building in question that he realised and swerved into the nearest pod, crashing it out of harm's way.

Most unfortunately, the pod in question didn't belong to Bait as Sonic had originally supposed, but to Robotnik, and so it was Bait and Sonic who were sucked into the building.

There was the sound of someone thumping loudly on the pod and Sonic fumbled around before locating the release mechanism, hoping like hell he wasn't about to die and pulling it.

The top flipped open with a little more alacrity than Sonic had expected, and a lot more than the unfortunate person standing behind it. Taking a deep breath (and finding to his relief that Robotnik's scan had been accurate and the air in that part of the planet was breathable) Sonic stood up, stepped onto the edge and leapt nimbly onto the floor.

The hallway he was in reminded him uncomfortably of the tunnels; it was carved out of rock with fluorescent lighting hanging from the ceiling and several doors off the corridor.

Someone caught hold of his arm and Sonic jerked involuntarily, then snapped his head around to stare at...well...he wasn't sure _what_ he was staring at, largely because his captor was wearing what looked like a cross between a tribal headdress and a spacesuit, covering every inch of his (her? its?) body.

The creature pulled on Sonic's arm, not roughly but insistently, then pointed down another corridor to the right.

"Sonic!"

The hedgehog whirled, seeing another person in the same clothes as the first one attempting to pull Bait down a different tunnel.

"Hey. Hey!" Sonic twisted out of his captor's hold and raced over to the jackal. "Leave him alone!"

He didn't know how, but suddenly everyone in the room (and there were more people there than he'd first thought) was holding a weapon, all hi-tech, all deadly looking and all pointing at him.

"Look!" The hedgehog held up one hand in the universal gesture of parley while the other arm encircled Bait's shoulders protectively. "We'll go quietly, but we'll also go _together_ or not at all." He accompanied his speech by pointing first to Bait, then to himself, then waving a hand towards the tunnel they'd been trying to drag him down.

The same person who'd grabbed Sonic (at least, the hedgehog thought it was; there wasn't much variety in the wardrobe) pointed at Sonic, then back down the first corridor. Sonic shrugged.

"Sure." He looked down at Bait. "C'mon."

The person pointed at Bait, then down to the other corridor.

"That one now?" Sonic deliberately kept his voice light and friendly. "Okay Bait. Let's go."

Without taking his arm away from the jackal's shoulder, he walked down the corridor indicated.

There was a babble of conversation behind them, then one of the creatures caught up with them, barred their way and pushed open a door to the left, one made of reinforced steel, or the local equivalent. It then pointed emphatically to Bait and then to the room.

"In there, huh?" Sonic shrugged. "You say so."

Before their 'guide' had time to react, he'd turned and walked into the room. Apparently giving up on them for the time being, the creature slammed the door shut behind them. Once closed, the door cut off all outside noise. A small bulb burned a poisonous red above it, illuminating the cramped quarters; little more than a bare room with no furniture or windows or any way out that Sonic could see besides the door itself.

Bait flattened his ears. "Why'd they put us here?"

"I dunno," Sonic said, a little shortly. He wasn't exactly crazy about their location either; it reminded him far too much of his time in Robotnik's prison. "How's your hand?"

"Hurts. I think them painkillers you got me are wearin' off."

"Yeah?" Sonic felt guilty; he'd mistrusted Robotnik to such an extent that he'd flatly refused to allow any of the doctor's robots to patch Bait up. Had he been too paranoid?

The slot at the bottom of the door clanked open suddenly and a tray with two bowls and two glasses of what Sonic could only hope was fruit juice was pushed through. Bait's face lit up.

"Hey, food! I'm starvin'!"

He grabbed for one of the bowls and opened his mouth, but Sonic caught hold of his uninjured wrist, preventing the movement.

"No you don't. Give it to me. If that stuff's poisoned or drugged, I'd rather I find it out than you." He sniffed at it warily, and almost immediately his stomach growled in sympathy. Whatever it was, it smelt good.

Carefully, he spooned a little of the – well, he supposed you could call it _stew_ – into his mouth. It tasted strange, but not unpleasant.

"_Now_ can I have some?" Bait demanded.

Sonic chewed, swallowed and when ten seconds had gone by without him dropping down dead, shrugged. "Sure." He passed the bowl he'd tasted over to Bait, who grabbed it in his good hand to keep it still, then ducked his face into it and started to slurp.

"Bait. Bait!" Sonic tapped him hard on the shoulder and when the young jackal looked up, startled and with what smelled like gravy all over his snout, the hedgehog handed him a spoon.

"Aw, _Sonic_."

"Don't _aw Sonic_ me, Bait; you're not a feral. If we don't want to be tossed out to die or stuck here for the rest of our lives, we have to make a good impression. Now eat properly or I'll take it away until you can."

"You never cared before," Bait dared to mumble even as he took the spoon.

"Okay, so usually I don't worry about all that etiquette baloney," Sonic admitted freely, "but even I've never eaten like that."

"But I'm _hungry_!"

"And every second you argue with me is a second you're getting hungrier," the hedgehog retorted. Something struck him and he smiled slightly.

"What's funny?" Bait demanded, in between valiant attempts to spoon up a slice of root vegetable at the bottom of his bowl.

"Just...that's something Mighty's mother always used to say to me when I tried to get her to let me eat in front of the TV."

"Mighty?" Bait frowned, trying to place the name. "That 'dillo from Scrap Brain?"

"Yeah. We grew up together; I squatted with his parents most of the time." Sonic glanced away, remembering. Mighty had turned on Sonic as soon as he'd found out the truth about the hedgehog and Robotnik, and although they were friends again, both of them knew they could never be as close as they had been before.

Reaching down, Sonic picked up the glass and sipped at the murky liquid inside, and almost immediately his face brightened.

"Man, I haven't tasted this stuff since I was in Dust Hill Zone!"

"What is it?" Bait wanted to know, sniffing his own glass.

"I don't know the proper name for it. The nomads there just call it honeyjuice; it's honey mixed with water and ground coriander. If you warm it, it heats you up and if you chill it, it cools you down. Sort of a nutritious milkshake with no milk." Sonic took another swallow. "The ingredients are hard to come by in the desert, which means they only serve it on special occasions, but it's well worth the wait."

"I guess you comin' to visit were somethin' of a special occasion, right?"

Sonic laughed. "I doubt they saw it that way. I was dumb enough to think I could run across a desert without any form of water. About the most admiring or respectful thing I ever heard them call me was _damn stupid idiot_ _lunatic of a porcupine_."

Bait frowned. "Well, they was completely wrong about that, Sonic, 'cause you ain't a porcupine."

Sonic laughed again. "Just a damn stupid idiot lunatic, huh? Anyway, they fixed me up and poured so much of that stuff down my throat that I thought it was going to start coming out my nose."

"So c'n I have some?" Bait licked dry lips. "I'm real thirsty, Sonic."

"Yeah, sure. Here." Sonic sipped out of the other glass, then, satisfied, handed it to the jackal, who gulped eagerly.

"What're we gonna do if they won't let us go?"

Sonic felt a chill run down his spine. "I don't know. We'll escape, somehow, and get out of here."

Bait flattened his ears. "You sure that's a smart thing to do? 'Cause if we go out without them pods, ain't we gonna die?"

Sonic winced. "Good point." He considered for a few minutes. "Alright, let's think about this. We haven't been chained up yet, which is hopeful. Maybe they just want to make sure we don't leave before they have a chance to talk to us."

"Mebbe that void thing's how they take prisoners."

Sonic shook his head. "No, it kills everything, remember? We only survived because Robotnik – for all his bad points – builds damn good fortresses...and whatever lives here, it seems to breathe the same kind of air we do."

Bait finished eating his portion of stew and before Sonic had time to react, had grabbed the hedgehog's bowl and slurped that down as well.

"Hey!"

"Huh?" Bait swallowed the last mouthful, then glanced at the two empty bowls and cringed. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry, I dint mean to, it jus'...I was..."

Sonic managed a grin, ignoring the complaints of his stomach. "It's okay, kiddo. I wasn't that hungry anyway."

There was a silence.

"Sonic?" Bait said in a muffled voice.

"Yeah?"

The jackal wrapped both arms around the hedgehog's waist, snuggling into the comfort of Sonic's body. "I wanna go home."

"Yeah, kiddo. I know. Me too." Glancing around, the hedgehog caught sight of the door and an idea occurred to him. "Hey Bait?"

"Yeah?"

"Think you could pick that lock?"

Bait looked up, ears flat. "You said you dint want me to do stuff like that no more."

"And I don't, not in the normal scheme of things. But in case you hadn't noticed, this is far from normal, so I think we can overlook it this once. Can you pick the lock?"

The jackal shook his head violently. "Nuh uh! I ain't doin' nothin' like that, Sonic, 'cause I know you hate it an' I'm not gonna let you hate _me_ for doin' it!"

"I wouldn't hate you, kiddo. I'm telling you, this one time it's okay."

Bait shook his head again and dived back into the comfort of Sonic's ribs.

"No!" His voice was slightly muffled, but perfectly audible. "I can't, Sonic. I dunt have a lockpick anymore. I chucked 'em all away."

"Well, that was a pretty damn stupid thing to do," Sonic said, the heat and fear of his confinement making him snippier than usual.

"Whaddaya mean?" Bait lifted his head to glare at Sonic. "You tole me to do it!"

The hedgehog glared back for a few seconds, then his face abruptly softened. "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

"You coulda let me keep _one_," mumbled Bait, who had fought long and hard to retain such a privilege before finally admitting defeat.

"Yeah, well, I didn't know we were gonna get sucked through an interdimensional portally vortexy voidy thingy and taken prisoner by a crazed and ultra-paranoid bunch of alien slavers, did I?"

"We coulda been prepared!"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Bait, I said no more sneaking around or dishonest activities, didn't I?"

"Yeah, an' then you said, Bait, you gotta pick that lock, remember? Why's it okay to do it for you an' not anyone else?"

The hedgehog hesitated, floundering. "Well...because we're trapped here and we need to get out."

"Yeah, but if you hadn't made me get rid a my lockpicks we'da been clear by now." Bait frowned at the lock. "Or mebbe not. I never seen one a those before an' it might be trapped or somethin'."

Trapped. Great. Just like they were.

"I hate this place," Bait muttered.

"You think I don't?" Sonic closed his eyes, shivering. It was at times like this that he really wished he had larger ears; through Tails and Bait he'd learned that flattening the same was a very good way of expressing fear or shame, and he thought it was probably also a good way of blocking out unpleasant sounds without being so obvious as to stuff your fingers in your ears. The hedgehog method was slightly less obvious; fear was signified by the quills either bunching together or flaring, depending on how aggressive the hedgehog in question was.

_Yeah, and with blades instead of quills, I can't even do that_, Sonic thought grimly. His blades moved enough to allow him to curl up and spindash (and were far deadlier than his original brown quills had been) but were nowhere near as flexible.

"Yeah," Bait said, jerking him back to Mobius (or wherever the hell this place was) with a jolt, "but I dunt like small places."

Sonic glanced at him, startled. "You never told me that. You seemed okay when we were in the tunnels."

"That was different. Tunnels're okay because I c'n jus' tell myself they're on'y underground corridors an' besides, they wunt that small. But somethin' like this..." Bait quivered. "I dunt like anythin' that's like bein' in a cage or bein' trapped. If you really wanna know, I...I got in the way of one a Raker's jobs when I was six. He was real mad at me an' said I was no better'n a wild animal an' wild animals gotta be caged. So he got one a them cages that was 'bout three foot by three, stuffed me inside an' locked the door, then dumped the cage in a swamp an' left."

"How long for?" Sonic asked very quietly. Bait shrugged.

"Dunno the exact hours. But I dint get out until five days later an' that was on'y 'cause one a them robots tried to zap me but missed an' blew the cage door open an'...Sonic, are you okay? You look kinda pale."

Sonic moistened dry lips. "Did you say a robot?"

"Yeah."

The hedgehog was silent. He'd been there when the robots had arrived; Tails had taken him to his 'secret place' soon afterwards. Before that, they'd been relaxing, having fun and generally hanging out (although Tails' bout of salmonella had put something of a damper on their activities). While they'd been having fun, had Bait been locked up in some tiny cage, abandoned like so much trash?

"Why didn't you cry out?"

The look Bait turned on him now suggested that the hedgehog was suffering from a terminal case of idiocy. "Jeez, you think I _dint_? I gave up after a couple hours 'cause my voice was gettin' sore an' anyway, nobody come to see what was goin' on." He shrugged. "That's the Em'rald Hill Zone for you."

"It's sick is what it is." Sonic paused. "Did anyone actually hear you?"

Bait nodded. "Uh huh. I know they did 'cause they walked past and ignored me, but they'd say somethin' like, I wish that kid'd shut up. So I did an' it dint make no difference; I was still stuck there."

Sonic looked away, sickened. "Jeez. Man, if I'd known..." He shook his head, only coming back to himself when Bait yawned hugely. "Yeah, you get some sleep. I'll keep a watch."

Bait shook his head. "I dunt wanna sleep. 'Specially not here."

"Bad dreams?" Sonic said quietly.

A vigorous nod.

"Yeah, I don't sleep too well myself, kiddo. Haven't since the last time I was inside Robotnik's prison."

Bait looked up to fix him with a wide-eyed look. "How'd he catch you, Sonic?"

The hedgehog glanced away and Bait was momentarily afraid he'd overstepped the line. In the same way as Sonic understood not to press Bait about everything that the jackal had suffered in his life, so Bait knew not to quiz Sonic about his time as Robotnik's prisoner.

Eventually Sonic shrugged. "I was grinding backwards to show off and the rail came to an end. Knuckles tried to warn me, but I didn't believe him. I fell off and one of Robotnik's transporter robots happened to be passing and it caught me and zapped me straight to the fortress before I hit the ground. It didn't release me until...later." Something in the way the hedgehog said it warned Bait not to press any further, and the jackal dropped the subject obligingly. Curiosity notwithstanding, he didn't want to think of Sonic being tortured.

"He coulda taken me if I'da bin there," he said into Sonic's ribs. "Mebbe he'da let you go an' kept me."

Sonic smiled slightly. "And maybe he'd have just laughed in your face. Robotnik doesn't do deals and if he does, he almost never keeps his side of them."

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

Bait pushed closer, ignoring the agony that flared in his broken ribs. "If we get outta here—"

"When, not if."

"—when we get outta here," Bait repeated obediently, "are we gonna take Raker?"

It was on the tip of Sonic's tongue to say that Raker damn well deserved to stay here and be enslaved (if that was what was in store) then he caught sight of Bait's wretched, hopeful gaze and sighed.

"_Why_, kiddo? Why don't you just leave him?"

"Are you gonna leave Robotnik?"

The question caught Sonic off guard and he floundered. "Uh...well, I...if we can't, then...um..."

"See?" Bait persisted, correctly interpreting Sonic's answer as _Not a chance in hell_. "Sonic, what if they try to split us up again?"

"They won't, Bait. I promise." When the jackal continued to look unconvinced, Sonic reached out to fluff up the fur on his head. "Go on, kiddo, go to sleep. Whatever they want to do to you, they can damn well do to me first."

There was no more talking after that. There didn't seem to be anything to say – Sonic couldn't even tell Bait it was going to be okay since he had no idea what _it_ was – and gradually the jackal dropped into sleep.

It was an hour or so later when Sonic finally noticed the slow but steady drop in temperature. At first he was thankful; anything was better than the sluggish heat they'd been suffering for the past who knew how long.

_Maybe they finally decided to pump some air conditioning in here._

At the end of another hour, Sonic could see his breath misting in front of him and after a third hour, he was shivering. Whether it was that or the temperature which woke Bait up, he didn't know, but the jackal stirred slightly, cracked open both eyes and said hoarsely, "I'm cold."

"You're cold?" Sonic echoed, by now shivering so much he could hardly get the words out. "How the hell do you think _I_ feel? You got four inches worth of fur on most of your bod; I'm practically bald."

Bait didn't answer, just continued looking at Sonic with those big, liquid brown eyes. His expression was one that Sonic had seen all too often on Tails' face when the fox had been younger; that look of total confidence that he, Sonic, could solve any problem and make everything bad stop.

It was hard to believe, Sonic thought with grim amusement, that Bait was two years older than Tails.

"Okay, c'mere." Reaching down, he lifted Bait up and into his arms, holding him as tightly as he could without exacerbating the jackal's injuries. "Better?"

A small nod. Bait was already half asleep again and Sonic decided not to wake him.

_So what's going on_? It was colder than could be explained by simple air conditioning. Could it be Robotnik? Had he done what he'd done on Angel Island, turning the people here against the hedgehog? If so, what was he supposed to do about it?

Sonic shook his head. His rational self (and it did exist, despite remarks from a certain red echidna to the contrary) told him that now he was fully healthy, he had nothing to worry about from Robotnik, or at least nothing he couldn't handle. His primeval self, however, tended to shriek terrified warnings whenever the hedgehog came face to face with the doctor, and when Robotnik had actually laid hands on him by the swimming pool...a chill flickered down Sonic's spine. He'd never told anyone the full story of what he'd endured in those three months of hell, and never planned to either, but Robotnik's favourite – after literally running the hedgehog's feet ragged – had been various and ingenious forms of water torture, apparently all designed by his own race. Waterboarding had been one of the doctor's main choices, combined with water curing to break up the monotony. Of course, that hadn't been all that had gone on, not even half of it, but it had been the worst.

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, remembering and trying very hard not to. That was one good thing about this place; there was no water, at least, none that he'd seen.

_Yeah. They're probably just going to slam dunk you into a pool of lava or whatever they have here_, something inside him whispered, and immediately something else answered, _Suits me_. At least that would be relatively quick; there'd be no internal agonies, no vomiting, no lingering, mind-numbing terror...just a brief burst of intense pain and it would be over.

Bait's ear flicked once in his sleep and he squirmed closer, finally settling when he was half draped over Sonic's lap.

Sonic himself remained awake for a long time, mind working furiously as he tried to figure out what he was going to do about Bait.

No wonder Robotnik was so happy for me to take the kid; all the time he's with me, I can't go off after the doctor. Bait's a good kid, but he can't fight to save his life.

The hedgehog shook his head. Despite the fact that Bait was closer to Sonic's age than Tails was (and despite Sonic's adopting him as a 'brother') the hedgehog knew full well that his relationship with the jackal was far more parental than fraternal, and he also knew Bait well enough to know that his tough, gutsy façade was just that; a façade to hide the insecure and badly frightened kid beneath.

_Well, at least I don't have to decide now_. _Robotnik's not likely to cause trouble for the minute._

How long did the two of them lie there? Minutes? Hours? Sonic didn't know; all he was really aware of was the oppressive heat (and having what amounted to a fur coat on his legs didn't help either). No more food or drink was forthcoming, and he didn't know if he was apprehensive or relieved when their prison door suddenly swung inward with a clang to reveal one of the guards. Sonic wished he/she would take off the mask; he'd like to see just what kind of creature he was dealing with.

The creature in question pointed to Sonic, then to Bait and then jerked its thumb towards the door.

"You want us to come with you?" the hedgehog guessed.

No answer, just a repetition of the gestures.

"Got it. C'mon kiddo," Sonic said, nudging the still slumbering Bait into wakefulness. "Looks like someone wants to see us."

The creature led them out of the cell (this time not trying to protest Bait's presence) and through a labyrinth of passages which finally culminated in a plain looking door. It pointed at Sonic and Bait, then to the entrance and turned away. Sonic glanced at Bait and raised an eye ridge.

"Guess we go on alone, huh?"

Calmly, trying to pretend he wasn't worried, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

This room managed to be cluttered and functional at the same time; that is, every wall was crammed with consoles, and every console had a vital part to play in the running of the facility. That was the second thing Sonic noticed.

The _first_ thing was the vaguely familiar person sitting with their back to them and studying one of the wall monitors.

"I suppose nobody ever taught you to knock, Sonic," the stranger said. His voice was impassive and somehow cultured, the kind of voice who could order someone's execution as calmly as he would a pizza.

Sonic frowned. He was used to everyone on Mobius knowing who he was, but an alien? No way. That was just _too_ freaky, almost as freaky as someone here actually speaking his language.

"Do I know you?"

The other gave a low chuckle. "Of sorts." He swung around and Sonic took a step back. The last time he'd stared into those eyes, the owner had been doing his utmost to throw him off a casino table, and had also succeeded.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Sonic demanded, staring openly.

"I have several names, Sonic, especially on this world. For now, though, you may call me Shadow. Shadow the hedgehog."

**So...another part completed (snickers quietly to self in an evil manner) Hope you liked it and if you read, please review! **


	9. Calling for Help

**DragonUk: Thanks :P You'll find out about the creatures...soon ;)**

**Maverick87: (drives to Vegas)(sees empty church)(curses time difference and goes back home) Ah well…maybe my getting a Sonic-mad partner wasn't meant to be :P And thanks…Shadow's been out of this for a while now, so I figured it was about time he came back ;)**

**Asher Tye: Yep, Shadow :D As to the rest of it…you'll find out ;)**

**PiKA of DEWM: (grins) Thanks...guess I surprised you, huh:P**

**Private somebody: Oh yeah; I love twisting things when I write ;) It's my obsession :P I'm also in far more of a Sonic mood since I just discovered where I can get every single episode of AoStH ever made (hey, I like it :P)**

**Bumbleboxer: Ooh, that's gotta be the longest review I've ever received :D And...Sonic playing? Whatever put that idea into your head? (innocent look) I'd do a lot more playing if Sega would get a move on and release various games for PC ;) The Baitster (ooh, I LOVE that nickname :P)...I did actually draw some pictures of him (coloured and black and white). Soon as I get the scanner fixed, I'll upload them to deviantart :) For now...well, his normal fur colour is a kind of sandy brown with a black back (almost exactly the same colourings as an Earth black-backed jackal ;)) And...well, he did have his gloves, right up until the point when Raker nabbed him in Scrap Brain :( As for how long you have to wait for the continuation of various stories...that kinda depends on which part of the story I want to work on (weg) Still...thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it so much :P**

**Shadow-spawn180: (weg) Thanks :P And...well, I don't know about well-planned, buteven so,I never bring characters in where they're not needed ;)**

_Guardian's Log no. 11496_

_Thank the Emeralds! We escaped from Genocide City Zone, and if it wasn't inappropriate for a Guardian to admit to fear, I would say that I never want to go back there as long as I live._

_Tails and I are currently staying in a run-down, seedy hotel that – surprisingly – doesn't have bad rooms. We've been living on takeout food, though; after seeing the kitchens in this place I think the only thing they really know how to make is penicillin, with a side order of salmonella and anthrax for dessert._

_Despite wanting to be gone the next day (two days ago now) we're likely to be here for some time. The reason? Tails went swimming in the Shining Sea and with his fur being that much thicker than mine and holding a lot more water for longer, combined with the mist in Genocide City, he caught the mother of all colds and has been 'all stuffed ub' as he puts it. Kid's been snuggled up in bed feeling sorry for himself most of the time and he's still in no fit state to travel._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_I got a cold so I can't go back to the tunnels with Knux yet. Not too bummed out about this._

_--Tails_

"Swimming and then sleeping with wet fur," Knuckles said tonelessly. "I thought you had more sense than that, kid."

Tails sneezed. "I ody wadted to feel seawater id by fur agaid," he said, somewhat indistinctly. "I bissed it dowd id the caves ad I wadted to ged wed."

"Well, you sure managed that! Couldn't you have just stuck your hand in it or something? Why'd you have to go and _swim _in it? And how the hell could you _not_ dry yourself off?" Even as he spoke the echidna knew he was being unfair; Tails hadn't had time to do any such thing before the mist had come in.

But it was still damn annoying!

The fox sneezed again. "I'be sorry, Duckles."

He looked so forlorn sitting there wrapped in a hot blanket with his ears drooping and his bare feet stuck in a bowl of hot water and mustard – in many ways, Knuckles was something of a traditionalist – that the echidna relented. Being ill was miserable enough in itself, without him getting on Tails' case as well.

"Alright. Just..._try_ and act a bit more sensibly next time? And keep away from me; I don't want to get sick!"

Tails sniffed noisily and Knuckles made a mental note to grab a box of tissues.

"I'm going out for an hour or two," he said abruptly. "I need some exercise; this place is doing my head in. See you later."

"Okay." Tails picked up the remote and had clicked into one of his favourite shows before the echidna was halfway out the door.

By the time he was back with their dinner, Tails was dozing and the _Technology Workshop Show_ had given way to an infomercial. Even as Knuckles watched, the fox's nose twitched once or twice and he opened an eye.

"Izzat food?" he said somewhat indistinctly.

"Yeah." Knuckles opened one of the bags at random. "We got stir fry noodles and leeks, rice, satay beef—"

Tails winced. "Ew!"

"—prawn crackers, sesame toast and pella tarts."

"Pella tarts?" Tails' ears pricked up. "Yeah!"

"Not before you get something healthy down you."

"Pella's healthy, Duckles. I deed by vitabid C ad you ody get that id fruit."

"Nice try." Knuckles served up a generous portion of noodles with leeks and pushed it over to the fox. "Eat."

Tails took a couple of mouthfuls, grimaced and shook his head.

"I cad't, by throat hurts too buch." He did sound pretty hoarse, now that Knuckles noticed. "Real thirsty, Dux."

"You know where the faucet is, kid."

Tails coughed a couple of times, then wished he hadn't as it sparked fresh pain in his raw throat. "But I'be sick, Duckles."

"You're also milking it, kid. You might be sick, but you're not dying."

Tails took a deep breath. "Okay. Ad if I doad bake it, you gotta probise be you'll bury be with by toolbox."

Knuckles folded his arms. "Now you're pushing your luck."

"Okay. Here I go." Tails pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly, got out of his bowl of water, took three steps forward and promptly collapsed.

The echidna rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Tails! It's still not gonna work."

No answer.

"Tails?"

Nothing. Knuckles sighed. "Alright kid, you keep playing this game if you want, but it's not gonna get you any water."

Turning on the TV, he flicked through the channels until he came upon a movie that looked good and settled back to watch.

It wasn't until the end of the movie that Knuckles spoke to Tails again, and then it was with a sigh.

"C'mon kid, don't you think this has gone on long enough?"

There was no reply.

"Tails…?" Knuckles got to his feet and crossed over to where the fox was still lying in the exact position he'd been in two hours earlier.

The thought occurred to Knuckles for the first time that maybe Tails wasn't putting it on. Frowning, he turned the fox over to find Tails' body was utterly limp.

"Tails? _Tails_!" Concern and guilt struck the echidna hard, and he crouched down, lifted Tails up and placed him carefully into bed, covering him over. "Damn, kid, I'm so sorry."

Over the days, Tails' condition worsened until Knuckles was seriously tempted to go and find the nearest doctor. His throat was so sore he was relying on soft food and milkshakes, and that was under protest, albeit an extremely hoarse one. He also didn't want to take the medicine Knuckles obtained from a nearby pharmacy, but the echidna got over this hurdle by the simple process of agreeing not to make Tails take it if he didn't want to and then hiding it in his food.

It seemed to work, but it took far too long in Knuckles' opinion; despite showing definite signs of recovery, Tails was still 'all stuffed ub' six weeks later, although his mental processes were almost back to normal.

It was partly because of this and partly because he thought he would scream if he had to sit through another episode of the _Technology Workshop Show_ that Knuckles returned from his daily walk one day with two DVDs which he tossed onto the bed, not looking at Tails.

"Here."

Tails blinked. "Whass that?"

"I picked up a couple DVDs from the local hire shop. I figured if you're gonna be sick, you might as well be sick in comfort."

Tails' face lit up. "You _did_? Wow!" Reaching down, he snatched up the cases and looked at them. "_Firestorb_? _Ted Days to Obliviod_? You _rock_, Duckles!"

Knuckles looked away and cleared his throat. "Yeah...well...you, uh, you should at least make use of that DVD player while we're here."

"You wadda watch deb wid be?"

The echidna shrugged. "Why not? There's nothing else to do around here."

"We could go for a swib?"

"Isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place?"

Tails glared at him. "It's dot _by_ fault I'be sick, Ducklehead!"

"Whatever," Knuckles said flatly. "Just play the movie."

"Okay!" Tails grabbed _Firestorm_ and put it into the player, then hurled himself back onto the bed with a surprising amount of energy for someone who was supposedly ill. For the first time, Knuckles wondered if the fox might be putting it on, then dismissed it. No, you couldn't fake something like this; certainly not for so long. But still…

He shrugged and settled down next to Tails on the bed. The fox would recover fully enough in time. Frustrating though it might be to wait for him, Knuckles preferred this to the thought of dragging a sick Tails into the tunnels.

_And dragging might well be the operative word_, he thought grimly as the movie progressed. He'd lay money that the fox wouldn't go back down there willingly.

_So with that in mind, would it really be fair of me to force him?_

_But if I don't have him for a guide, how the hell am I going to pull this off?_

Warmth jerked the echidna's attention downwards to where Tails had slumped against him, out for the count.

Sighing – this was starting to become a habit, and he wasn't at all convinced Tails wasn't doing it on purpose – Knuckles slid to his feet, pulled the blankets up over the fox. Tails squirmed, then opened blue eyes to blink up sleepily at the echidna.

"Dux?"

"Yeah?"

"Whed we ged to the tuddels, what're we godda do?"

Knuckles didn't quite meet Tails' gaze. It wasn't the first time the fox had given the unnerving impression of being able to read his mind.

"We'll think of something," he said aloud.

Tails flattened his ears. "Ab I godda have to go back id there?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"'Cause I doad wadda, Dux, dot _ever_. I still have bad dreabs about it."

The echidna glanced down at him. "I know, kid. I know."

Seeing the fox's expression, he made up his mind; whatever he did, he was keeping Tails away from those damn tunnels...not least because it might send the kid feral again.

_Which means I'm going to need to find some other way of spying the place out._

An idea, one that was so crazy it bordered on the dangerous, occurred to Knuckles and he acted on it before either his sense of reason or self-preservation could make themselves heard. Picking up the phone, he dialled Information and after a few false starts and wrong numbers, managed to get through to the CDA's office.

"Hi-i-i! This is the Chaotix Detective Agency, also known as the CDA! We specialise in helping the helpless, defending the defenceless and braining the brainless! We're—OW! He-e-ey, no fair, Espio, it's _my_ turn to do this!" There was the sound of a scuffle, then, "Vectooor! Make him sto-op!"

"Break it up, boys." Vector's voice came over the phone somewhat indistinctly, followed by the unmistakable sound of Charmy blowing a raspberry (presumably at Espio) and then the voice continued.

"As I was saying, we're here for you and we operate a twenty four hour service, seven days a week! There's nobody in the office right now, but leave a message after the beep an' we'll get _right_ back to you! BEEEEEEEP!"

"All that for a lousy answering service?" Knuckles muttered ungraciously. He wished the CDA would change their message; it was a little unnerving hearing a recording of Vector's voice when the croc had been dead for at least a month.

Clearing his throat, he spoke more loudly.

"This is Knuckles the echidna with a message for Espio. Whoever gets this, tell him I have a job needs doing, and I'll pay him in cash for it. I'm in the Five Stars Hotel, Metropolis Zone. Room 184, though I think the receptionist's likely to remember me."

Tails was staring openly at Knuckles as the echidna put the phone down. "You're godda use _Espio_?"

"You bet your tails I am. If anyone knows about this kind of thing, it's him." Knuckles glanced at the fox. "Try and get some more sleep. You're not healthy yet."

"I ab so!"

"Are not."

"Ab too!"

"Are not."

"Ab too tibes idfidity," Tails retorted, with the air of one delivering an unshakable argument.

"_Sleep_," Knuckles ordered, arms folded. "It's almost midnight."

Tails snuggled down into his nest of blankets, then poked his head up long enough to say, "Yeah, but _you're_ still 'wake, Dux."

"Only because you're still talking to me!" Knuckles retorted. Turning his back on Tails, he got into his own bed, reached up and turned off the light.

For a long time there was silence. Then:

"Dux?"

"Hm?" Knuckles mumbled, more asleep than awake.

"You really thig Espio's godda cub ad help us?"

"No. But he'll come for the money, and that's enough. Now go to _sleep_." There was a rustle which suggested Knuckles had just rolled over and which told the fox in no uncertain terms that the conversation was finished for the night.

It took just over three days before Espio replied, and then he did it in person. Tails was amusing himself by dismantling the TV and putting it back together and trying to beat his own time when the knock came. Placing a chip down carefully to one side, Tails got to his feet, padded over to the door and opened it, staring at the person beyond.

"_Espio_?"

"Where's Knuckles?" Without waiting for an answer or an invitation, the chameleon strode into the room.

"Espio?" The sound of running water from the bathroom stopped and Knuckles emerged from the shower, towelling himself dry. "I wondered when you were gonna show. I didn't know if you were still part of the CDA or not." He snorted. "Guess there's no budging you except with a crowbar, huh?"

The chameleon folded his arms, clearly unmoved. "I seem to remember the words 'pay' and 'cash' were in your message, Knuckles. I tend to respond favourably to words like that. Anything else is a waste of breath. Now, do you want to talk business or not?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Fine. I got a job for you."

"And how much is this _job _going to pay?"

"Twenty Mobiums."

"Twenty Mobiums wouldn't pay for my cable car fare back to Scrap Brain Zone. You're going to have to do a lot better than that. You're also going to have to tell me what you called me down here for in the first place; aren't you a little far from home?"

The echidna stared hard at Espio. "Alright, fine. I want you to…find the layout of something."

"And what layout might that be?" Espio drawled as he picked up an apple and bit into it.

"I need you to go check out the tunnels where Tails was a prisoner," Knuckles said, and had the immense satisfaction of seeing Espio choke.

"You _what_?"

"You heard me. We've got to go back there and I want a clear idea of how to get around without being seen." Knuckles hesitated before taking the plunge. "And besides, there's a very good chance your brother might still be down there and he's more likely to help you out than us."

Espio's gaze hardened into granite. "I don't have a brother."

"Can't you un-disown him for just long enough to get this done?"

"No. Besides, my family disowned _me_," Espio said coolly, somewhat illogically and not at all truthfully.

"Not what I heard," Knuckles retorted, causing the chameleon's eyes to flash alarmingly.

"So you _were_ eavesdropping on me in the CDA. Hardly honourable behaviour for a Guardian, Knuckles."

"We both were," Tails volunteered. "Be ad Soddic ad Dux ad that jackal. We all heard what you ad your brother said to each other."

He barely had time to blink before Espio had lunged for him and pinned him to the wall.

"Listen to me, little fox, and listen well or you and I are going to fall out. _I have no brother_. If you understand nothing else before you die, understand that!"

Knuckles caught hold of the chameleon and yanked him off Tails.

"Leave the kid alone! I don't care how you do it, but I want a detailed layout of that place."

"Then why don't you ask him?" Espio nodded towards Tails.

"I need the whole thing, not just those parts of it Tails was in. I..." Knuckles hesitated, then decided to take the plunge. "There's another echidna down there. I want you to find her and tell me where she is."

"Girlfriend?" Espio drawled.

"Sister," Knuckles shot back coldly. "She's been down there all her life."

"Really." The chameleon shook his head. "And yet, I find myself failing to care. Why don't you ask the iguana? He's still with the CDA."

"I can't ask him to go back there, Espio. He's only just got out." Knuckles paused. "You found out his name yet?" he asked sarcastically.

"According to Mighty, it's Dela. You want to know about that kid, ask the 'dillo, not me. I'm not interested in him, I'm not interested in being friends with him and I think I'm not interested in your so-called _job_ either. I'll see you around." The chameleon turned away and took another bite at his apple.

Knuckles strode between Espio and the door and folded his arms coldly, throwing caution to the winds. "Espio, was it those tunnels you worked in or not?"

The chameleon met his stare equally coldly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You want me to elaborate?"

"No." Espio pulled out a shuriken, eyes narrowed. "Now stand aside."

The echidna obliged, moving to one side and waiting as the chameleon strode past before saying clearly, "A thousand Mobiums."

Espio froze mid-step and half turned. "You don't have that kind of money."

"I do on Angel Island. I can sell some pieces of my hoard."

Espio hesitated. Knuckles could see the chameleon's mind weighing up the inherent problems with such a job against the prospect of a paycheck that was four or five times the normal rate.

"Suppose I take it and run?" he said flatly.

Knuckles snorted. "If you think you're getting paid in advance, you can think again. You get the money _after_ we're done."

Apparently reaching a decision, Espio shook his head. "Forget it. Thousand Mobiums or not, I'm not going to do it, and there's nothing you can say or do that will change my mind."

"You wanna bet?" When the chameleon didn't answer, Knuckles took a chance. "Suppose one of the CDA found out about your secret past?"

"Sounds a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Espio retorted. "What's there to find out?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

There was a long, long silence.

"Tell me your plan, then," Espio said icily, then paused and added in a quieter voice, "Damn you."

**Okay, so that's it for this chapter ;) Next it's either Sonic or Robotnik…haven't quite made up my mind which yet :P Hope you liked this one and if you read, please review!**


	10. Prisoners

Hawk's Soul: Thanks. Heh, yeah; Espio's heart does seem to live in his wallet :P As for who to do next...well, I think I made my decision ;) Every episode of AoStH...check out Until it's released on DVD, looks like I'll have to make do with these ;)

**Parslie: (bows) Your wish is my command :P**

**Shadow-spawn180: (happy sigh) Thanks. If I have confused just one person with Vector's voice on the phone, then the last chapter was not in vain :P Actually, since I get to bring Espio into the story in a major way, it wasn't in vain anyway, but still...**

**Maverick87: Heh, thanks :D I was kinda worried I'd overdone the Sick-Tails-voice...guess not :) **

**D.C.111: Yeah (pats Tails on shoulder and hands mug of chicken soup then retreats wearing respirator) And never fear; you shall see Knuckles and Espio very soon ;)**

**Private somebody: (grins broadly) Espio, antisocial? Why, whatever gave you that idea:P**

**Princess Sally Acorn: (blushes) Thanks :D I try my best. Tails and Knuckles partnership...heh, it's a plot I find fascinating to work with (witness the main reason for my writing _Secrets of the Emeralds _;)) I don't know about rewriting Espio's character, to be honest...I'm not sure anyone really knows what he's like :P When I started this series, the only Sonic thing I had to base characters off was _Sonic Heroes_, and Espio's kinda shady...there's something almost sinister about him in that game. Then again, maybe that's just me :P**

**Bumbleboxer: Thanks ;) And you're not the only one who might reread that conversation; I need to refresh my memory :P I plan to bring out some of Espio's backstory in this as well...**

**Owl: YEAH! I confused a second person with Vector's voice's cameo! (wipes forehead) My work here is done ;)**

**Matt Lans: (_Knuckles: I do what works_) Yeah...I think when it comes to protecting Tails, he'll do just about anything except admit it ;)**

**PiKA of DEWM: Ooh, I like that quote :D (makes note) Tails' exploits...hmm. Stand-alone exploits usually go in _The Facts of Life_ (must update that soon) Any particular exploits you have in mind?**

**Milette Tails Prower: Thanks :D Love the name, btw ;)**

**TC Chan: (_Knuckles: Look, I didn't know the kid wasn't faking!)_ And thanks :D Mario…(ducks hail of flying bricks) Not sure I'd dare put a Nintendo character into the Sega universe…even I'm not that evil :P**

**Matri90: You bet he does (Knew it wasn't just me!)**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_I don't know who I expected to see, but it wasn't this guy! I don't think I'm happy seeing him either; last time we met he threw me off a casino platform! He's as fast as I am._

_Well, maybe almost as fast._

_Alright. Three questions. One, what happened to Raker and Robotnik? Two, how do we get back? Three, how on Mobius are we supposed to get this Shadow to help? Because I don't think we can get back without his help, or at least someone's help and he seems to be pretty important._

_That's something else I hadn't thought of; Robotnik mentioned we might have been sucked into a parallel dimension. Does that mean that this Shadow isn't the same Shadow that threw me off that platform in Casino Night Zone?_

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Temprachur keeps chaynging. Dont wanna be here; wanna go home with Sonic. Met anuther hedjhog called Shaddoe._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

"Shadow, huh?" Sonic echoed. "Okay. I'm—"

"I know who you are. Who's your friend? You had a two-tailed fox the last time I saw you."

Sonic hesitated before saying warily, "Which time was that?" in an effort to work out if the Shadow was the same Shadow he'd met on Mobius.

"Forgotten already? I'm talking about the time we fought and I threw you off that table in the Casino Night Zone." Shadow shook his head. "Picking a fight is hardly the best way to greet someone."

"Neither's trying to dropkick them off a casino table!" Sonic retorted. "I mean, just because I didn't want to hand over my Chaos Emeralds to your girlfriend Rouge—"

"That was a mistake, Sonic."

"Your tryin' to dropkick him off a casino table or his callin' this Rouge your girlfriend?" Bait said.

"The first one, of course. Although I wouldn't give a dried up cratt shell for your chances if you tried the second again."

"Mistake, huh?" Sonic snorted. "Well, in that case, I'd hate to see what you do on purpose!"

"Yes, you would."

Bait sidled away slightly; if the two hedgehogs were about to explode into combat, he didn't want to be too near. Shadow didn't comment, didn't even react to this action other than to give Bait a sweeping glance, appraising and dismissing him in the one motion.

"So why'd you bring us up here?" Sonic demanded, after a few seconds had passed.

"Your abilities intrigue me. You're not on a par with me, Sonic, not even close, but for all that you're the best I've seen so far."

"Hey, _thanks_." Sonic snorted. "Let me point a little something out to you. You think you're capable of doing everything I can? That goes both ways, Shadow; I can do everything _you _can. I figured that out on that casino table, even though we didn't fight for long. Barring attitudes, I'm pretty much the same as you."

Shadow's lip curled scornfully. "Don't be so vain, Sonic."

"What happened to the other guys I was with?" Sonic demanded, in an effort to divert the conversation. "The guys in the other two pods?"

Something that might have been interest flickered in Shadow's eyes. "There are other pods?"

"Yeah, two of 'em. The pilots are both jerks but they're Mobian jerks, so we're kinda looking to take them back when we go." Sonic shook his head. "Look, we can discuss this all you want later—"

"We'll discuss it now," Shadow cut across. "Who are these people?"

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Was it _you_ who shot us down?"

There was a brief pause, during which Bait edged away further.

"Perhaps you fail to understand the reality of your situation," Shadow said, eyes now narrowed. "Let's get one thing clear, Sonic; _I'm _asking the questions."

"Yeah? You and what army?"

"Me and the army currently standing around doing nothing. I imagine they'll be only too pleased to acquire some new targets if you refuse to cooperate. Of course, I could just let Omega have you; he's been getting a little bored lately, if you can call it that."

Sonic stared at him. "I'll cooperate, but only after you answer _my_ questions! What the hell _is_ this place, Shadow?"

"A facility built by the humans. They were trying to colonise this planet. They failed, miserably."

"Humans?" Sonic echoed, unsure of the word.

"Yes, Sonic, _humans_. Bald monkeys with no tails and fuzzy heads. Their society is extremely primitive and barbaric, but they have made some good technological advances." Something flickered in Shadow's eyes, something that was gone so quickly Sonic thought he must have imagined it.

"Yeah?" Bait frowned perplexedly. "How'd a buncha monkeys get here?"

Shadow curled his lip. "With a space shuttle, of course. They contracted some kind of disease and by some cruel twist of fate, the medics were the ones who died first. There are still some humans here, who were tough enough to fight it off. They tried to find ways to transport more medics up from their own world, but it went drastically wrong."

"Transport…" Sonic stared, jaw dangling. "The Void thing that's been zipping all around Mobius?"

"If that's what you call it, yes. They tried to reach Earth. As it is, they seemed to get everywhere _but_; Mobius wasn't the only world affected." Shadow shrugged. "There's nothing can be done."

Sonic shook his head. "So why didn't _we_ die? Why didn't you die, when it sucked you in?"

"It can't penetrate metal. I took precautions and so, it seems, did you. If you have a metal shield of some kind, you'll survive the initial suction. After that, it's like riding water currents." The hedgehog folded his arms. "Enough of this inane babble—"

"Hey, you started it."

"—tell me who else is with you," Shadow finished, ignoring Sonic with an amazing effort.

Sonic wondered whether or not to demand more answers, then decided against it. There'd be time enough to deal with Shadow later, when there was no risk of Bait getting hurt.

"Bait's brother Raker and a large alien creature who goes by the name Dr Ivo Robotnik," he said succinctly.

Shadow's eyes flared mometarily. "Robotnik?"

Sonic blinked. "You know him?"

Stupid question, really, he thought wryly; everyone on Mobius knew Robotnik's name.

"Perhaps." Now the eyes were narrowed. "This puts a different complexion on things."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning that I'm going to wait until your friends turn up – alive or dead – before I decide what to do with you," Shadow said curtly, in a way which suggested the audience was at an end.

Bridling at this abrupt dismissal, Sonic said, "What about a hospital?"

"What _about_ a hospital?"

Sonic indicated Bait. "Look at him, Shadow! The kid needs medical attention!"

Shadow looked distinctly bored. "He should have thought of that before coming here. We don't have medical facilities and even if we did I see no reason to let you use them."

"Yeah? Who died and made _you_ king of the world?"

The black hedgehog shrugged. "His name was Cage. I never bothered finding out the rest of it; he wanted to put me in some kind of freak show so I dealt with him."

"You mean you killed him?" Bait said hoarsely.

"No, little cub. I merely got two of his pets on my side and ordered him thrown out of the facility. The external conditions were what killed him."

"Pets?" Sonic echoed derisively.

"Lackeys, then. Both humans and both crawling little sycophants who want nothing more from life than someone to worship. When I leave this place, they'll forget all about me and start licking the feet of whoever replaces me." Shadow didn't sound exactly heartbroken at the prospect. "Pathetic, but easy enough to manipulate. I didn't even have to threaten to shoot them to make them do what I wanted." He turned away and pushed a button, producing a buzzing sound. Almost immediately the door behind opened to reveal two of the same creatures/people that had brought Sonic and Bait to the room.

Gesturing to the Mobians, Shadow said dismissively, "Take them to secure quarters and make sure they don't go anywhere. I'll want to speak with them again later."

---

Half a mile away in another part of the complex, Robotnik wished Sonic was around. Not for company, but because the hedgehog had proven time and again to be a genius at escaping, and Robotnik could have used his help right about now. Hell, even Knuckles would have done…anyone, in fact, except for Raker.

"They have no right to keep us locked up here!"

Robotnik sighed. "I imagine that since this is their facility, they would say they have every right. Much as you seem to believe you have every right to bore me with your petty complaints and I have every right to ignore them."

Raker's eyes glittered dangerously. "Go on then. Ignore me."

"I wish I could. Unfortunately your voice isn't an easy one to tune out." Robotnik sighed again and briefly entertained an immature but very satisfying idea involving Raker's head and the bowl of soup that the jackal had refused to touch.

Raker prowled around the small cell like a lion, the overall effect only spoiled when he had to keep hopping over Robotnik's legs (currently stretched out in front of the doctor with ankles crossed; Robotnik believed in being as comfortable as possible wherever he went).

"How are we going to get out of here?" Raker demanded, giving up on the prowling.

"Sonic will come," Robotnik said simply. "He'll save me even if he leaves you here to rot."

The jackal snorted. "Can we say, wishful thinking to the point of utter delusion?"

Robotnik picked up his spoon and turned it around in his fingers pensively.

"I don't know. Can we say, I'm going to ram this thing bowl-end first right up under your tail if you don't shut that mouth of yours?"

Raker curled his lip. "Come on then, if you want to fight. Or are you too scared to take me on without your robots?"

"Killing me won't accomplish anything," Robotnik pointed out coolly.

"Yeah it will. It'll stop you ramming that spoon bowl-end first up my—"

"Yes, alright, alright," the doctor interrupted. "But if you think killing me is going to put you in Sonic's good graces, you'd better think again."

The jackal snorted. "Since when have I cared what that interfering little turd thinks of me? And besides, killing you might well earn me the thanks of the entire planet." He smirked. "Just think; I could name my own reward. You're hardly the most popular guy on Mobius, are you?"

"I don't care about things like that," Robotnik informed him. "You can be a ruthless world dictator or you can be popular, but very few people ever manage both."

Raker's eyes glittered. "Fine by me. I'll take the power any day of the week."

The doctor stared hard at him with a certain predatory interest, the same kind as might be used by an alpha wolf watching a rival enter its territory.

"_Really_?"

"Yes, really. Are you deaf as well as fat?" Raker strode around the cell, kicked the bowl into the wall where it shattered and then slammed his body against the door, which didn't even quiver.

"Where did you go, anyway?" Robotnik asked idly.

"That's none of your damn business!"

"It is if you sabotaged my home. I assume you wound up in this cell the same way I did?" In fact Robotnik was certain the jackal hadn't gone as willingly as he himself had; the doctor had been more than happy to go where his captors took him, rationalising that if they'd wanted him dead they would have shot him straightaway, and also that if they believed he was compliant and no threat, they were likely to be less vigilant around him. Robotnik could play the civilised game as well as anyone, and he'd smiled and thanked the black-clad people when they'd brought him food. It hadn't been bad, either; he'd stored a small amount containing all the ingredients he could find in a glass container to be programmed into the dispenser.

The only fly in this ointment was Raker, who had been complaining, threatening and sulking until the doctor was sorely tempted to drop his passive act and knock him out…in fact, it was only the thought of the likely retribution that stopped him. Even Robotnik wouldn't attack someone like Raker in a one-on-one fight without a very, very good reason, and preferably a claw hammer or baseball bat for a weapon as well.

"These jerks grabbed me and tossed me in here!" Raker's snarl brought the doctor back to himself with a jerk; he'd forgotten the question he'd asked. "And no. I haven't been near your damn fortress. If you must know, I went to try and get something to eat."

"From where?" Robotnik said incredulously. "The local fast food joint? From what I've seen, this is the only civilised area on the entire planet! And besides, the people here did feed you."

Raker lifted his still full bowl and drop-kicked it into the wall, shattering it and splashing gravy everywhere.

"You call that food?"

"Not anymore," Robotnik retorted, an acid bite to his tones. He'd had plans for that food, plans which involved his stomach, mouth and alimentary canal, not necessarily in that order.

"They have no right to do this to me!"

"So you keep saying." Robotnik shook his head. He knew Raker, knew that the jackal's frustration was capable of exploding into extreme brutality and violence, and with Raker's usual target for such things – namely Bait – gone, the doctor had a nasty suspicion that Raker would turn on him before too long.

Folding his hands across his belly, he stared at the door as though he could will it to open.

_Come on Sonic, where on earth are you_?

---

Curled up in an armchair in the so-called secure quarters and oblivious to all this, Sonic finished his magazine and tossed it carelessly onto the table. He and Bait had been here for almost two full days now. The place they'd been taken to was small, with two canvas sheets stretched over frames and hung from the wall to serve as beds, a small table with two stools and a fridge-freezer in one corner, currently stocked with nothing but various drinks. Food was brought at regular intervals and Sonic took that as a hopeful sign; at least Shadow didn't want them _dead_...at least, probably not yet. There were also a few books and magazines on a wall-mounted shelf – Sonic had already started one of the books and Bait had propped another on his knees and was using it as a table – two armchairs and a big screen TV with a pile of DVDs. Sonic had glanced through them and found they all seemed to be from Robotnik's world. Certainly they all – with a couple of exceptions by some guy or girl called Disney (man, Robotnik's species sure had weird names, Sonic mused) – seemed to feature Robotnik's species to the exclusion of all else.

Pushing a button, he turned on the TV just in time to catch the local news. That was also strange, to see a newsreader, weather guy…just about everything on TV was the same race as the doctor (_and just what is that race, anyway_? Sonic wondered).

He listened for about ten minutes before getting depressed and turning it off again; it was all about some war back on Earth, then some murders, then a rape, then half a dozen burglaries and a road traffic accident to break up the monotony.

Sonic shook his head. If the statistics were even half accurate, he was amazed that there were enough people left after one war to wage the next one.

"No wonder the doc's like he is," he said aloud.

Bait didn't respond. Half suspecting the jackal had fallen asleep, Sonic glanced over to see him frowning in concentration as he worked on whatever he was doing.

Sonic was half intrigued, half amused; it was rare to see Bait focus for so long on one single activity. Getting to his feet, he walked silently to stand behind the jackal and peer over his shoulder.

It was a drawing. More specifically, a drawing of Sonic himself as he'd been sitting in the armchair, legs over the side, reading a magazine. Although it was obvious that Bait was no child prodigy like Tails, the basic art was above average for his age and the shading was pretty good.

_Particularly when you consider he's doing it with his left hand,_ Sonic thought wryly. Aloud he said, "Hey, that's—"

Bait's reaction both surprised and silenced him; the jackal yelped as though he'd been kicked, flattened his ears and promptly tore the paper into shreds.

"I dint mean to!"

Taken aback, Sonic blinked. "Didn't mean to what? Draw me?" He shrugged. "You wanna draw me, you go right ahead. I didn't mean to make you jump."

Bait shook his head. "Nuh uh, 'sokay, I'm done."

The hedgehog hesitated, then shrugged again. "Okay, if you say so." Kneeling, he gathered up the torn pieces and carried them over to the table. "You know where the sellotape is?"

Bait shook his head violently, then his curiosity got the better of him. "Why d'you want it?"

"Why do you think? I want to stick this back together."

"You're kiddin', right?"

"No, I'm not kidding; I think it's good. I'm just sorry I disturbed you, kiddo, that's all. Why'd you rip it up, anyway?" Sonic searched the cabinet, the kitchen drawers and the dresser before finally locating the sellotape where it was hanging on a branch of the mug tree.

Bait shrugged, not looking at Sonic. "It were crap."

"No it were—wasn't," Sonic corrected himself as he sorted out the straight-edged pieces from the rough ones. "And besides, if you wanna draw, you go ahead and draw. You're a better artist than me at any rate."

This was true, albeit not much of a compliment. Sonic's art skills were only slightly better than Tails'; everything he drew was recognisable, but that was about all you could say for it.

"Raker hated me drawin'. Or writin'. Or readin', or doin' anythin' beyond what he tole me. Last time I tried drawin' I were six. I kinda thought it'd be a good way to make him happy. Y'know, 'cause I seen other kids doin' it for their parents." Bait looked away. "'S the last time I tried somethin' as dumb as _that_."

"What happened?" Sonic asked.

A shrug. "I spent ev'ry day for a week tryin' to get it perfect, y'know? I dint wann'im to have _nothin'_ to complain 'bout. Finally it was done an' I gave it to him. He jus' laughed, ripped it up an' kicked me out the room. Ev'ry time he come in an' saw me doin' somethin' similar he'd jus' make me rip it up."

Sonic stared at the jackal for a long time, then said softly, "Bait?"

Bait glanced at him and Sonic pushed the newly repaired drawing towards him.

"I want you to finish this."

The jackal looked away, ears slightly flattened. "Mebbe later. I'm gonna read for a while." Turning his book the right way up, he opened it at random and buried himself in it.

Half an hour passed in relative peace and quiet – Bait enjoyed reading, though he was so slow it was painful to watch and Sonic occupied himself with a puzzle book. The crossword contained so many Earth references it was impossible for the Mobian to even attempt, but the logic puzzles weren't so hard.

Sonic groaned slightly. _Sitting at a table doing word puzzles! Man, I can't believe I've been reduced to this! Damn that Shadow!_

Thinking about Shadow reminded him; he'd been meaning to ask what Bait had thought of the hedgehog. The kid's instincts about a person were rarely wrong.

"Hey Bait?" The jackal was too engrossed in his book to answer and Sonic tried again. "Bait!"

Bait jerked reflexively, ears flat. "I dint do it!"

"Do what?"

"Whatever you're talkin' about."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about anything, Bait, not in that way. I just wanted to know what you thought of Shadow."

Bait shivered. "He's like a cross between you an' Raker. He ain't psycho like Raker, but he'll do anythin' to get what he wants an' if summun gets hurt then that's just too bad. I dunt think he'd enjoy hurtin' 'em, he'd jus' see it as somethin' he had to do."

"Ruthless," Sonic said quietly.

"Yeah, that. An' I seen plenty a people who made death threats, but on'y a few who oughta be taken seriously an' he's one of 'em." Bait looked away. "He ain't an idle boaster, Sonic. I think he means ev'rythin' he says. We can't leave until he chooses to let us go."

"Then he'll kick us into the bitter wind and through the cold cruel snow," Sonic murmured.

Bait eyed him warily. "You what?"

The hedgehog glanced at him. "Sorry. You just gave me the first line of the chorus to a rude song I learned on Green Island. I couldn't resist filling in the rest."

Bait's eyes lit up. "You got rude songs on Green Island?"

"Everywhere has rude songs, kiddo."

"Teach me!"

Sonic blinked. "What?"

"Teach me…please?" Bait fixed the hedgehog with an appealing look. "C'mon, at least you gotta teach me that one you're always singin' in the shower!"

A slight gleam appeared in the hedgehog's eyes. "The Cherry Pip Song?"

"Dunno. That the one where you whine about never kissin' a girl an' then findin' out the girl you're with is actually another guy?"

There was a brief pause as Sonic ran through the verses in his mind until he reached number four, when he said, "Yeah, that's the one. I picked it up in Jungle Zone."

"Teach me! C'mon Sonic, please?"

The gleam in Sonic's eyes was now positively wicked as he replied, "Yeah, I'll teach you, Bait…_if_ you finish that drawing."

The jackal looked away, scuffing one toe on the floor. "Dunno why you want it so bad. 'S jus' a dumb picture."

Sonic's eyes never left Bait's face as he replied, "Maybe so. But I think you need to finish it because you still need some kinda proof that I'm not gonna react in the same way as Raker."

Bait paced agitatedly, making two full (and limping) circuits of the room before coming back to wriggle into the armchair, squirming up next to Sonic and putting on a pleading expression.

"You first."

They were on their third joint rendition of the song – despite Robotnik's acerbic comments back in the pods, Sonic was a surprisingly talented vocalist when he put his mind to it – when the door crashed open.

"Don't you guys ever knock?" Sonic demanded of the black-clad duo standing there. Maybe they were the same pair as before; he didn't know how to tell them apart.

By way of an answer, one of them pointed emphatically to Sonic, then to the door.

Sonic shook his head. "Haven't you learned yet? We're a team." He stood up, supporting Bait with the other arm. "C'mon kiddo; looks like we're wanted."

He could see that this hadn't been what their guides had had in mind; there was some hushed conversation before one flung up its hands in a way that said quite clearly, _Okay, fine; on your own head be it_!

As Sonic had been expecting, he and Bait were marched along back to what the hedgehog was sarcastically calling _Shadow's throne room_.

This time when they entered, however, Shadow was looking distinctly pissed off about something, and his expression darkened further when he saw Bait. Shifting it to the two escorts, he said in a deadly tone, "I'll deal with you two later. Get out of my sight."

"Pretty unique management style you got there," Sonic quipped.

"I told them to bring you here _alone_," Shadow said icily.

The other hedgehog shrugged. "Yeah, well, they tried. But like I said when I first arrived; me and Bait go together or we don't go at all. Now what do you want this time, Shads? 'Cause we were just about to start the verse about the rich guy's daughter and the orgy."

Shadow regarded the blue hedgehog coolly. "You weren't entirely honest with me, Sonic."

"You didn't give me much of a chance to be," Sonic retorted.

"Your friend Robotnik—"

"He's no damn friend of mine!"

"—has some of the Chaos Emeralds," Shadow continued, ignoring this.

"Yeah. So what?"

The phone by Shadow's hand rang, startling both Sonic and Bait. Without taking his eyes off them, Shadow lifted it up, snapped, "Not now!" into the receiver and slammed it down again.

"I have been looking for a Chaos Emerald for months, Sonic. _Months_."

"Then go raid his fortress and take one," Sonic shot back.

"I did. Those traps he placed around the perimeter were entertaining, as were the robots guarding the Emerald." Shadow shook his head. "Did he really believe he could stop me with such flimsy defences?"

Sonic stared at him. "You…_took_ a Chaos Emerald?"

"I would have taken the others except I thought they may be needed to keep the fortress habitable." Shadow pulled out the light blue gem. "Then again, I suspect neither you nor your friends have even the faintest idea what these things can do."

"There's _nothing_ I don't know about Chaos Emeralds!"

"Then why didn't you take one before the Void brought you here and use Chaos Control to escape?"

"Chaos what?"

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Oh, so there _is_ something you don't know."

"I know one thing; I want that Chaos Emerald!"

Shadow looked bored. "You and half the planet, I imagine. Still, I retrieved it as a bargaining piece so I'll give it to you, hedgehog, but only on one condition."

Sonic spread his hands out to the side. "Name it."

The black hedgehog stared out the window at the raw landscape. "I'm tired of this facility. It was intriguing at first but now there's nothing here to hold my interest. I can't use Chaos Control to go home because for some reason – maybe because I only have one Emerald – I can't warp anywhere that isn't on this world and I need something to get me back. Give me your transport pod."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "_What_?"

Shadow glanced over his shoulder at him. "I'll take it anyway, Sonic. You might as well get some good out of the deal."

Sonic shook his head. "I'm not sending Bait back on his own. Raker would kill him before the Egg Carrier Three's engines were up and running."

Bait looked up at Sonic. "Mebbe I could let Shadow have mine."

"No, Bait. I'm not leaving you stranded here either."

"Okay." Trying not to look too relieved, Bait edged closer to Sonic.

Turning back, Shadow folded both arms across his chest. "Maybe I wasn't clear. I don't care whose transport I have so long as I get one to myself. You can fight out who stays and who goes among yourselves; your petty squabbles are no concern of mine. I go back, we arrive on Mobius and we part company and never see each other again, I damn well hope," he added, not quite under his breath. "Your friends have been taken to your quarters. I'll let the four of you talk it over; either three of you leave or none of you do. You have one hour to decide."

**So that's it for this chapter; sorry it took so long :P Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and if you read, please review :D**


	11. Return to Scrap Brain

**Owl: Ah…maybe they will, maybe they won't :P And thanks**

**Matri90: Thanks**

**Maverick87: So it seems…then again, Raker does have a tendency to twist things to his advantage ;)**

**Awdures: Thanks :D Robotnik…I do quite enjoy writing him; he's an interesting character :P A little like Raker, only saner and far more intelligent ;)**

**Hawk's Soul: Heh, thanks. Shadow as a cold-blooded killer…actually, I think he can be when he has to be, but I've never had him down as the kind of assassin type :P**

**Shadow-spawn180: (grins) Maybe Raker, maybe not ;) You'll find out next chapter. Raker with an army of aliens…ooh, now that has potential…As for the full version of the Cherry Pip Song…heh, okay; I uploaded it to _The Facts of Life_ for anyone who wants to read it ;)**

**TC Chan: Yep, Shadow is indeed in control :P As for what happens…you'll have to wait and see ;)**

**Matt Lans: Ah, but will it work out that way? **

**Private somebody: I'm going to refer to and occasionally use Chaos Control in my stories, yes. To recap; I don't ignore anything completely, I take aspects of any storylines that catch my fancy. Just because I'm not religiously following each and every one of the game stories (in this case SA2) doesn't mean Chaos Control doesn't exist (after all, Shadow and Metal Overlord both used it in _Sonic Heroes _:P) And no, it's not a military facility at all (otherwise you'd be right :P) Like Shadow said in the last chapter, it was a bog-standard colonisation attempt :)**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Well, you nailed the personalities pretty well...as for who we say goodbye to, it's gonna be...hmm. Nah, I think I'll keep it to myself ;)**

**Milette Tails Prower: Thanks :D**

**The waffle: Thanks; glad you liked it :D**

**MCM: Thanks...glad you like Bait too :P**

_Guardian's Log no. 11497_

_Well, so I managed to get Espio to help us. I'm not as happy about this as you might think; I practically blackmailed him into it and blackmailing someone like Espio isn't something you do lightly._

_Still, the chameleon does have his own strict code of honour, even if it's not quite on a par with mine. He won't betray us._

_At least, not until he's got his hands on that thousand I promised him._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_I don't know if I like Espio coming along with us or not. He's kinda creepy and if he decides that blood is thicker than water (and he IS Scarface's brother, no matter how much he says he's not) me and Knux are gonna be in really deep trouble._

_--Tails_

The Mobian cable car network was a more comfortable and better organised version of the moving platforms in the Zones. It wasn't free – the cheapest fare was ten Mobiums to the next Zone and an additional five for every Zone passed until you reached your destination – but it had couches complete with blankets and pillows for long journeys and basic meals were included in the price.

Espio reached out and picked up an apple (fruit was there all day everyday) then bit into it.

"I can't believe we're travelling FB class," he said, not quite under his breath.

Knuckles, who had bought the tickets and was already regretting it – the couches really were quite hard – scowled.

"If someone had thought to _mention_ the different classes of ticket—"

"I did mention them," the chameleon said coolly. "_You_ just didn't want to cough up."

"What's FB class?" Tails wanted to know.

"Flat Broke," Espio translated. "One below economy." He grimaced at his apple before adding, "And it damn well tastes like it too."

"Are you going to be a jerk all day?" Knuckles demanded. Espio in a bad mood was almost impossible to live with.

"Yeah, I'm going to be a jerk all day," Espio retorted, giving up on the apple and folding his arms across his chest. "I have been dragged out of the CDA – and incidentally, since that involves leaving Charmy unsupervised, I'm constantly wondering what the hell I'm going to go back to – I have been blackmailed into risking my life, and not only that but since you don't yet have my fee it seems I'll be doing it on the never-never! I'm going to be a jerk until further notice."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. He was already regretting his bargain with Espio; coercing someone like the chameleon wasn't something you did if you could avoid it.

_Yeah, and I couldn't. That's all there is to it._

Next to him, Tails rooted around in the fruit bowl until he located a cratt and bit into it enthusiastically, narrowly missing squirting himself with the sticky innards, then he pulled a face and tried to spit it out.

"What's wrong?" Knuckles said idly.

"Iff _fower_!" Tails protested with difficulty; the fruit had stuck to his teeth and he was finding it hard to get rid of.

Espio picked up another cratt and sniffed it, then tossed it back onto the pile with a contemptuous snort.

"Barely even ripe."

"Better'n the ftuff I ufed to get in the tunnels," Tails said, still rapidly attempting to de-gunk his teeth and addressing Knuckles rather than Espio. "They used to throw leftovers at us an' laugh as we fought over them. That's how ol' Scarface an' me started off being enemies."

"Why? Because you didn't fight over the leftovers?"

Tails shook his head. "Uh uh. It was 'cause I grabbed one and threw it back at him and hit him on the back of the head and sent his face into his plate."

Knuckles stared at Tails for a few minutes, then laughed in disbelief. "You did _what_? I wish I could've seen that. What'd you throw at him?"

"Half a pella shell. I wasn't aiming for him, not 'zactly, but I still hit him." Tails' ears flattened and he looked away. "He got real mad, Knux."

"I'm sure," the echidna answered, while reflecting that if someone hit _him_ on the back of the head with half a pella shell – comparable in size and hardness to a coconut – he wouldn't be too happy with them either. "It's no damn wonder you went feral, kid, with that going on." He paused, then his curiosity got the better of him. "What'd you do out on Angel Island, anyway? You disappeared for a couple hours and then you came back looking drained."

The fox squirmed. "I jus'...I went to tell someone 'bout what happened, like you said."

Knuckles frowned. "Yeah? Who'd you find to tell on the Island?"

Tails' ears flattened more. "Well...it wasn't a person, Knux, not really. It was a...a...well, it was a star."

Knuckles blinked. "A what?"

Tails shifted his feet, looking embarrassed. "Dumb, huh? I jus'...well, you know I used to wish on a star when I was a little kid and I told that star all about what happened."

The echidna shrugged. "I've heard dumber things, Tails." Curiosity getting the better of him, he glanced up at the night sky. "Which star?"

"That one." Tails pointed to the star in question. He still felt a certain fondness for it; even if it hadn't sent Sonic to him when he was a very young cub, it had still been his only friend and confidante until the hedgehog had turned up.

A shooting star flicked across the sky and Knuckles felt the typical chill run down his spine. Shooting stars were a bad omen in Sagayan culture, a sign of troubled times ahead.

"Wow!" Next to the echidna, Tails closed his eyes for a few minutes, then opened them and looked up. "Didja make a wish, Knux?"

Knuckles blinked, taken aback. "No. Why?"

"'Cause we just saw a shooting star. Pretty lucky, huh?"

"Lucky?" Knuckles shot Tails a startled look.

"Uh huh. What are they for you, Knux?"

"Trouble," the echidna said succinctly.

"Huh? How come?"

Knuckles glanced at him. "Old superstition. The ancient tribes used to believe that the stars were the souls of their greatest and most honourable ancestors looking down on them from the heavens. A shooting star meant that there was such trouble ahead that the soul of that echidna had chosen to leave the heavens for good to come down and guide the people through it…and Sagayan beliefs also say that once you leave the heavens, you can never return."

Tails' ears perked. "Is there an echidna story behind that, Knux? 'Cause you know, you still owe me one."

"I _what_?"

"Yeah, 'cause you said that you'd tell me another if I didn't tell Sonic you'd told me the first one and I didn't tell Sonic so you gotta tell _me_."

The echidna glanced around at Espio, then back at Tails. "Not now, kid. People can hear."

"There's only Espio."

"Espio's a person." Memories of the chameleon's initial reaction to Knuckles' request for help prompted the echidna to add, "Just."

Espio raised an eye ridge. "This little excursion is likely to be a lot smoother if you don't upset me needlessly, Knuckles."

"I'll upset whoever I want, _when_ I want! You're not in charge here!"

The chameleon chuckled dryly. "Temper, temper. You'll never manage any kind of undercover rescue and burglary with that attitude."

Tails glanced from Knuckles to Espio and back to Knuckles again and then said in an effort to diffuse the tension, "So shooting stars are bad news for echidnas?"

Glancing at him, Knuckles relaxed with a visible effort and said, "Yeah. And scientifically and spiritually, our version of events makes more sense than yours. Why do you wish on them, anyway?"

"We wish on 'em 'cause they're so rare," Tails said simply.

"So are tsunamis, but I've never heard of anyone wishing on _those_." The echidna glanced up at the clock on the far wall of the car and added, "Get some rest, kid. We'll be there soon."

Tails bounced on his seat. "I don't wanna get some rest, Knux!"

"Ask me if I care what you want, kid." The echidna stretched out. "And anyway, if you don't want to get some sleep before we arrive, I _do_, so zip it before I die of old age!"

Tails shivered; he didn't want to consider the possibility of Knuckles dying, especially not now Sonic was gone.

"You think Sonic's dead?"

The echidna considered long and hard before answering, "I don't know. He vanished – the Void didn't kill him immediately – so he may still be alright. If he can get back, kid, he will. You know that."

"Think he'll bring Bait?" Tails muttered.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "If you're going off on an _I-hate-Bait_ tangent, you can fly to the top of the car and do it from there."

Tails fixed him with an accusatory look. "_You_ don't like him, Knux, and it wasn't even you he sold."

"Agreed, but Sonic likes him and Bait worships the hedgehog."

"I can't believe he picked Bait over me!"

Knuckles folded his arms. "Sonic didn't pick anyone, kid. You picked me over him, and for all his faults the spikeball never abandons those who help him out, and Bait did that big time. How many times are we going to have to have this conversation?"

Tails kicked his legs, scowling at his new sneakers, then abruptly lost the scowl and looked up at the echidna. "Knux?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get to Scrap Brain, what're we gonna do?"

"You're going to stay safe and out of the way, kid; I'm not gonna risk losing you again. Espio and I are going to see if Sekko is still in business and if he is, we're going to shut him down. Permanently. We're also going to use his building to get into the tunnels; it seems the easiest way. Espio will take me to the prison and from there I can get into the library you mentioned and dig into the Chaos Caves. Then I'll grab a chunk of Chaos matter big enough to power a whole damn planet, grab that other echidna, and then we're all three of us gonna go back to Angel Island and get it in the sky again."

Tails sat back on his heels and frowned. "What do you mean, a lump of Chaos matter? I thought we were gonna get another Master Emerald."

"That's all this is, kid. My ancestors just carved the last one into the shape of a giant jewel because they thought it looked better."

Tails flattened his ears. "You're gonna get the rest of the slaves out too, huh Knux? Promise you're gonna get the rest of them out?"

"Yeah. We are."

Tails curled up into a ball and looked up at Knuckles.

"I could come too, Knux. Into the tunnels, I mean."

The echidna shook his head. "No, you've only just stopped trying to kill me from the last time you were in there. Besides, like I said, I'm not going to risk them taking you prisoner again."

"But they wouldn't if I was with you."

"I'm not gonna take the chance." The echidna reached out and pushed Tails into a lying position, not ungently. "And if you don't go to sleep right now, kid, I'll glue your eyes shut."

Whether it was his threat or Tails' own fatigue that decided the issue, Knuckles never knew, but Tails shut his eyes obediently and a few minutes later started to snore gently.

"Touching," Espio remarked. It was impossible to tell if he was being sarcastic, wistful or just stating a fact.

"Don't start," Knuckles said tonelessly.

"You'll know when I'm starting something, Knuckles, believe me." Espio shook his head. "You don't really think you'll be able to carry out this crackpot idea, do you?"

"What's crackpot about it?" the echidna demanded.

"Freeing all the slaves for one thing. You know as well as I do that it's going to be impossible."

"Talk to the spikes, chameleon."

"Do you want my help or don't you?"

Knuckles floundered slightly, then said rather sullenly, "Go on then."

Espio stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. "Alright. Tails himself said those tunnels went on for miles. That could just be exaggeration but on the other hand, he may well be right. The tunnels _I_ worked in went on for miles as well."

"They're the same ones," Knuckles said tightly.

"We don't know that for sure, Knuckles, and for all our sakes you should hope that they're not. The tunnels I was in…you got to them through Lost Jungle Zone, where I grew up. Tails…well, I don't think we'll ever find out how he got in there since he was out cold when it happened, but you got to him through Scrap Brain Zone. It's over seven hundred miles from Lost Jungle to Scrap Brain, and that's if you dug one tunnel in a straight line, never mind an entire network. If the tunnels are the same, there's got to be over a hundred thousand slaves down there." The chameleon glanced at the snoozing fox. "You were right about one thing though; you can't take him back into the tunnels. He's tough but that might snap his mind completely."

"You think he saw something he shouldn't down there?"

It really was a mystery, Espio thought grimly, how Knuckles was able to wield the power of the Master Emerald and through it all seven Chaos Emeralds, and be so damn naïve at the same time.

"I wouldn't like to think about what that kid has probably seen." When Knuckles frowned slightly, Espio elaborated. "When it comes to punishment, a lot of overseers can be…inventive."

Knuckles' eyes pierced the chameleon's. "You too?"

"I favoured the traditional methods, echidna. I'm many things, but I'm not sadistic. After a while it becomes something of a contest; who can think up the most degrading and humiliating punishments. Myself, I never bothered with all that."

"Do you know why Tails freaked out?" Knuckles said sharply.

"I have…theories." Something about the way Espio said it told Knuckles that the chameleon had more than mere theories, and he pounced.

"Theories like what?"

"Ask Tails. _He_ knows why he freaked out, even if you don't. I'd lay money it's something he saw rather than experienced first-hand, but sometimes that's worse. They do it occasionally in public view, both to increase the humiliation and to spread terror among the other slaves. Frankly I'm amazed Tails had the mental strength to survive; I've seen some real tough nuts crack in half the time he was down there."

Knuckles looked at the fox who was now snoozing peacefully – Tails seemed to have broken the cycle of nightmares and did get some restful nights now and then – with a certain amount of pride.

"It'd take more than some twisted lizards to break _this_ kid."

He'd expected Espio to protest the insult against his genus, but instead the chameleon nodded once.

"Yes, I've seen that happen. You do get the odd one who can't be broken, but they're few and far between, and I never saw one as young as Tails. You're not planning to take him with us into the tunnels, are you?"

Still pretending to be asleep, Tails pricked up both ears as much as he dared.

"No," Knuckles said flatly. "I've only just got him back to normal again. Chances are good if he goes down there – especially if they recapture him – he'll go feral again. He'll be safe in the hotel."

Tails cringed inwardly. The thought of Knuckles not wanting to take him along...well, he didn't wanna go feral again, no way, but he _wouldn't_. Knuckles would be there to protect him and Tails would be able to lead him straight to wherever he wanted to go. That was how it had always played out in the fox's mind, and he'd never stopped to think that the echidna might have different ideas.

Admittedly he didn't blame Knuckles; he knew the echidna was genuinely doing what he thought was best.

But didn't Tails get a vote?

While he was still trying to puzzle it out, he fell asleep and neither Knuckles nor Espio realised he'd been listening, both of them having entered into a rather heated discussion about whether or not they could appeal to some hidden sense of mercy in the odd overseer to let them pass.

"For the last time—" Espio left off the pacing he'd been engaged in for the past ten minutes and whirled on Knuckles— "_no_!"

The echidna folded his arms. "I still say it's possible. Get someone to let us take a few people out...it could work."

Espio sighed. "They don't think of slaves as people. If they did, it'd be too damn hard to do their job. Slaves don't have names."

Knuckles stared hard at him. It wasn't the chameleon's shady past that bothered him; it was his almost casual attitude towards it.

"Did your girlfriend have a name, Espio?"

Espio's eyes narrowed into slits. "How do you know all this?"

Knuckles picked up a mango from the table in the centre and bit into it, never taking his eyes off the chameleon.

"That's my business. Yours is getting us in and around without being spotted."

"Which is going to be a damn sight harder if you insist on spilling a sob story to everyone with a whip that we meet! Oh, I'm sorry, Knuckles—" the echidna had flinched at Espio's words— "does the truth hurt? All anyone cares about down there is looking after number one."

"You didn't," Knuckles said very quietly.

Espio's irritation left him as abruptly as it had come, to be replaced by something else.

"No, I didn't. But if it hadn't been for what happened, it'd most likely have been me who sent Tails feral. You get a few who discover they can't hack it, but they're never, ever given guard duty and certainly never placed anywhere near where they can help a slave escape. You think the boss of those tunnels would have placed Scarface where he did if he didn't think he could be trusted?"

Knuckles raised an eye ridge. "Now you're calling him that too?"

"It suits him so well. Lugnor was always far too vain when we were kids. I gave him his first scars, though." Espio smiled coolly. "Seems he's got quite a collection now. I'd almost have done this job for nothing if there was any video evidence of Tails' attack on him."

Knuckles stared at him. "_Nothing_?"

"Almost. As it is, the price we agreed will do fine."

The echidna glanced out at the rapidly darkening sky, pretending interest in the lights of Scrap Brain Zone he could see up ahead. "I'll pay you when all this is over, Espio."

Espio snickered quietly. "Damn right you'll pay me, echidna. I don't give out freebies and I don't come cheap either."

Knuckles clenched a fist, then resisted the urge to hit the chameleon with a supreme effort and unclenched it again, staring out the window. He didn't know what it was about Espio that put people's backs up so much, but he knew that whatever it was was doing the same to him.

Neither of them spoke until they reached Scrap Brain and got off, Knuckles carrying the still (apparently) sleeping Tails.

The fox lay still, rightly guessing that the echidna would drop him like a hot potato if he knew Tails was awake.

"Where are we staying?" Espio wanted to know.

Knuckles shrugged. "I don't know. You know this Zone better than me; I was hoping you could pick somewhere."

The chameleon raised an eye ridge. "You said you wanted a spy, Knuckles, not a guide. This could very well cost you extra."

Knuckles gritted his teeth and without parting them said, "I'll pay for the hotel, that's all."

He half expected Espio to argue but instead the chameleon said, "Fine," and led the way to a hotel that even Knuckles recognised as five star.

Without batting an eyelid, the echidna strode into reception and did the same thing as he'd done in Metropolis (ie, threatened to cost them thousands of Mobiums in repairs if they didn't give him and Espio a room each), and had the immense satisfaction of seeing Espio look momentarily stunned.

Still pretending to be asleep as Knuckles dropped him – literally – onto a bed, Tails waited until he heard Knuckles start to snore before sitting bolt upright, determination burning in those blue eyes. One thought had been sounding over and over again in his head ever since the echidna had mentioned leaving him behind.

_Well, if Knuckles doesn't think I can do it, I'm just gonna have to prove him wrong!_

He knew the way down to the prison and from there to the library. He knew the timetables too; he could race in, grab one of the echidna books and race out again before they even knew he was there! And boy, Knuckles would sure be surprised!

Moving silently, Tails clambered out of bed – he still liked sharing a room with Knuckles in case, as he put it, the echidna had a bad dream and he could be there to comfort him – and padded over to the door. Creaking it open, he squeezed through, glanced up and down the deserted corridor and shut the door very quietly behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The voice in his ear was so abrupt and unexpected that Tails leapt a full foot in the air.

"AAH! Nowhere!"

"An interesting response," Espio told him with narrowed eyes as he shaded into view, "albeit a somewhat nonsensical one."

Tails stared at the chameleon, heart pounding so loudly he was surprised Espio couldn't hear it. "Whatcha doing out here, Espie?"

"I asked you that first."

The fox glanced at the door leading back into his and Knuckles' hotel room. The echidna hadn't woken up at his yell; Tails had heard him turn over but that was it, and if the snoring sound was anything to go by, Knuckles wouldn't be waking up for quite some time.

"I'm gonna go into the tunnels and get one of the old echidna logs for Knuckles," he said in a stage whisper.

Espio stared at him, for once too astonished to maintain his icy demeanour. "You're going to _what_? Are you insane?"

"No! An' even if I _was_ it's gotta be your brother's fault!"

Now Espio sighed, a sigh of pure boredom. "If you think you can make me angry enough to let you go on some suicide mission just by reminding me that I happen to be closely related to the bastard who almost beat you to death, think again. You're nuts. You don't think they're going to let you waltz in and waltz out again, do you?"

Tails planted both paws on hips and turned up the glare a few degrees. "You never worked those tunnels, Espie, and you _know_ it! I know what it's like down there! I know exactly what goes on!"

"The hell you do." Espio caught hold of Tails' arm and twisted it into a secure and – so long as the fox didn't try to escape – painless hold. "You know what it's like to be a slave down there, nothing more. You haven't the first idea what it's like to be an overseer, either in those tunnels or anywhere else."

Tails, trying and failing to pull free, kicked out at the chameleon's shin but failed to connect, mostly because Espio kept out of leg range wherever possible as a matter of course.

"Let _go_!"

"And if I do, what am I supposed to tell Knuckles when he asks where you are?"

"The truth! Tell him I wanted to do something to make him proud of me an' so I'm gonna go get one of those echidna books! An' if you don't let go right now, Espio, I'm gonna howl real loudly, and if I do your ears'll prob'ly explode! And you gotta promise me not to tell Knux 'less he asks. Anyway, I'll prob'ly be back by the time he wakes up." Tails glared at Espio. "Now let me go!"

The chameleon shook his head, not in refusal but in disbelief.

"You're a damn fool. Getting yourself killed or recaptured won't make Knuckles proud of you."

"That's why I'm not gonna get killed or caught," Tails said reasonably. "Espie, he doesn't think I can do it, but I _can_. If I get one of the books, he'll know I'm as cool as I ever was and we can go in together and rescue everybody!"

"You're a fool and you'll most likely wind up dead, but I guess that's your own lookout," Espio said, and released him.

**Okay, that's it for this chapter. Sorry it took longer than usual but I was working hard on _Rising Star_ (and other stuff :P) Anyway, if you read it, please review!**


	12. Choices

**Maverick87: Thanks :D As for what's going to happen to Tails...well...you'll find out weg**

**Private somebody: How true. As for the plots kicking into high gear (grins evilly) You have no idea ;)**

**Matt Lans: Heh...well...maybe Tails'll be okay (Then again, maybe not :P)**

**TC Chan: Thanks ;) I love Espio; as you say, he can be an incredibly dark character. Tails telling a pella fruit and then eating it...oh man, I wish I'd thought of that one :D**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: (grins) You're almost right ;) As for updating...is this soon enough for you?**

**Professor Ken: Yep, I'd say that was a pretty good description ;)**

**Nipsyo: (blushes) Thanks :D English isn't your first language? (is amazed) Wow, I'd never have known :o (Can I be nosy and ask what your first language is?)**

**The Golden Dove: Thanks (_Espio: Magenta ninja. MAGENTA_) As for your ideas for Facts of Life...yeah, I like 'em, so I'll give 'em a shot :D**

**Shadow-spawn180: Okay, okay; how's this? Soon enough for ya? ;)**

**Forgotten Muse: (laughs) Really Depressed Badnik…OH yeah!**

**Wrong light: Thanks :D As for what Tails saw to freak him out, it was...actually, I think I'll keep that to myself, leave it up to your imaginations ;)**

**D.C.111: Thanks :) And you'll find out about Tails...just as soon as this chapter's over :P**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_Talk about a catch-22. Shadow wants to leave and go back to Mobius. Fair enough, can't say I blame him, but he wants one of us to stay in his place! Or at least stay; I don't think he cares what we do here. To summarise, he'll let us go if he can go with us, and that means one of us is going to have to stay behind._

_Not only that, he has a Chaos Emerald which he says he'll only give to us if we cooperate. The question is, who's going to stay behind?_

_Actually, that's not the question at all; the question is how can I persuade Bait to give up his older brother?_

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Shaddoe has a Caos Emruld! And Sonic wants it but Shaddoe wont giv it to us unles one of us stays here and dusnt go home. I think Sonics gonna want to mayke Raker stay but hes the only famly I got._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

Shadow the hedgehog really was not having a good day. It had started badly with the conversation he'd had with Sonic and gone downhill from there; the other residents were getting restless. Some of them were saying that if Shadow could teleport, he could bring them help or take people home or do something a little more constructive than sit around giving orders.

Of course, nobody had said it in so many words, since there were no would-be suicides among the humans (or other races, come to that). Not to mention that Shadow's management style was harsh enough to make disturbing him something that you only did in an absolute emergency. He wasn't exactly cruel, but he _was_ ruthless, unswayed by arguments or pleas. If you had a genuine case, it was taken, dealt with and dismissed in about ten minutes.

In human history, there were many people who had ruled cities, counties, even entire countries with the same amount of arbitrary rights as Shadow wielded now. Power had gone to their heads in most cases, turning them into megalomaniacal despots. The hedgehog, however, was possibly the only person ever to treat his new-found station in life and his being in charge of a few hundred people as a minor irritation.

Humans. Shadow sighed. Why did every story about aliens – or at least, every story _he'd_ read in this place – deal with alien abduction or aliens attempting to conquer or enslave humans? Any self respecting alien with even the bare minimum of intelligence would stuff the human race in a sack and drown the lot of 'em.

"What do you want to do with these?"

Shadow glanced up to where Omega was holding the pair of guards who had brought Sonic and Bait up to see him (despite the black hedgehog's explicit instructions to bring Sonic up _alone_).

"Two days in solitary," he said brusquely. In fact, he'd have been happy enough to let them off with nothing – in most cases, he'd discovered the fear of the punishment was often far worse than the punishment itself – but since he'd devised the rules himself, he thought he should probably stick to them.

Nobody knew much about the black creatures. They were another race that had been sucked into this hell of a world by the wild beams, and they kept themselves very much to themselves. Shadow applauded this, since they also never caused trouble and proved very useful security guards. The humans weren't so keen on them – for a species which claimed to be enlightened and hoping to make contact with alien races, they were pretty damn xenophobic, the hedgehog thought – but that wasn't his problem.

Someone tapped on the door lightly and Shadow shot it a glare that should have blasted it to rubble.

"What?" he barked.

The door opened and a human male who seemed to have far more neck than chin (and far more everything than hair) sidled in. Shadow glanced at him, making no effort to hide his irritation. This particular human had a tendency to report the most trivial things to him, purely so that he could be seen spending so much time with the hedgehog. Shadow had been sorely tempted on more than one occasion to toss the guy into solitary for a couple of days, and it had only been the likely reaction of the other humans which had stopped him. He didn't need a riot on top of everything else.

"What do _you_ want?" Shadow demanded.

"There's a message for you."

Shadow glanced at the answering machine. "At least seven according to this. I'll deal with them in my own time. Get out."

The human, much to Shadow's surprise and displeasure, didn't move.

"I think you might wanna hear this one."

The hedgehog sighed, already bored. He'd learned that the quickest way to get rid of these hangers-on was to capitulate. Besides, normally such a curt dismissal would have sent this particular hanger-on fleeing from the room. If the human was willing to risk angering Shadow, the message _had_ to be important.

"Fine," he said. "What now?"

The man pulled out a much folded sheet of paper and began the laborious task of unfolding it again.

"I don't have all day," Shadow said icily, after about three minutes had ticked off the clock.

The human cleared his throat and started to read (something else which bugged the hell out of Shadow; he liked his private messages to be just that, private).

"Our humblest and most respectful compliments to the great and powerful Shad—"

"Skip all that."

"If you say so." There was another brief hiatus as the human struggled to work his way through all the compliments showered on Shadow, Shadow's wisdom, Shadow's bravery and Shadow's parentage right back to the fourteenth generation (and wasn't _that_ one a laugh, the hedgehog thought grimly) and get to the bones of the message.

Shadow himself had no use for flattery except as far as it enabled him to make use of the flatterers. After he'd dealt with Cage, just about everyone had been falling over themselves to grovel at his feet…everyone, that is, except Cage's mate, who had marched up to Shadow, caught him off guard enough to deliver a stinging slap around his face and shout to all and sundry that he was a damn freak bastard and she was going to do to him what he'd done to her partner, see if she didn't.

Oddly enough, Shadow respected her far more than he did any of the other residents…not that that was saying much, he admitted, but at least that human female had been _honest_.

He could understand a certain amount of foot-licking. After all, when your boss has just been thrown out to a gruesome and particularly painful end for trying to imprison someone, it was only natural to want to convince that someone you had no similar intentions.

The human cleared his throat and continued.

"Whilst we appreciate your workload is vast and we really won't add to it unless absolutely necessary—"

Shadow raised a hand, cutting the man off. "We can skip this part too. What do they want?"

The other appeared taken aback. "What makes you think they want anything?"

"It's something called common sense, human. I didn't think you'd know about it." When the human continued to look blank, Shadow sighed. "Alright. It starts with them presenting their respects to me, goes on with them kissing my feet and mentions how they know I'm busy and wouldn't disturb me unless they had to. Clearly they want something."

The human gave up. "An increase in rationing."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Didn't I already refuse that this morning?"

"Yes, but I think they're hoping you might have changed your mind."

"I don't change my mind, human, and if I did I wouldn't do it in two hours. What else?"

The man swallowed. "Well...it's about Cage's wife—"

"The female who slapped me?"

Another swallow. "Yes. She says she's sure you have medical supplies squirrelled away – her words, not mine – and she wants them. She thinks you're withholding them deliberately because you don't want to risk getting injured and having no form of treatment."

A cool gleam appeared in Shadow's eyes. "Remarkably perceptive for a human, I have to admit. Why does she want them?"

A third swallow. That habit was really grating on the hedgehog's nerves. "She's...well...apparently she's pregnant. She wants access to medical supplies."

"Why," Shadow said very slowly and distinctly, so there was no way the human could claim he hadn't understood him, "should I care if the female has, as I believe you say, a bun in the oven?" Memories of his previous dealings with humans prompted him to add, "Or is that toad in the hole?" He shook his head. "Tell her that tomorrow she can have access to all the medical supplies she wants."

To say that the messenger was astounded by this piece of news would be putting it mildly. Shadow wasn't known for his sense of altruism.

As far as the hedgehog was concerned, however, it didn't matter what happened to any of them. Very soon it was no longer going to be his problem.

"Now get the hell out," he added curtly. "And you can take a message with you as well; from now until nine am tomorrow morning, unless it's literally a matter of life and death, I do _not_ want to be disturbed." Shadow strode over and slammed the door in the man's face, then turned to the room's other occupant, who had been uncharacteristically silent. "What did you make of that?"

"Use of flattery to attempt to manipulate you. How stupid these humans must be."

What might have been a smile quirked the hedgehog's lips very slightly. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Omega. How are our guests doing?"

"Auditory receptors have been implanted in the room as ordered."

"Excellent." Shadow flicked a switch and Sonic's voice, oddly tinny and distorted, wafted out of a speaker.

"—ing without someone."

"'S gotta be Robotnik." That was the jackal cub.

"No can do, kiddo," Sonic said reluctantly. "We can't fly the fortress without him."

"Exactly." There was a smug tone in Robotnik's voice that said he was well aware of that fact, and had even banked on it.

"Then I'll stay," Bait mumbled.

"I'm not leaving you behind, Bait," Sonic said, "and I'm not leaving Robotnik behind either."

Inside the room, the doctor smirked. "I never thought you would, Sonic."

"We could have a vote," Bait ventured. "On who stays, I mean."

"An excellent idea," Robotnik said pleasantly. "I vote for Raker."

"So do I," Sonic said, before Bait or Raker had a chance to speak.

Raker smiled lazily. "I vote for Sonic. I would vote for the bait because he's a filthy retarded little piece of crud in the toilet of my life, but family is family."

Bait flattened his ears. "Well, then I vote for me 'cause then Sonic don't gotta worry 'bout fightin' Raker all the time."

"So that's two for Raker, one for me and one for Bait," Sonic said. He quirked an eye ridge at Raker. "So long. I'd say it's been a pleasure knowing you, but I was brought up not to lie."

Amazingly Raker smiled. "I wouldn't be too hasty, Sonic. There's always another way."

"He's right," Bait added. "Mebbe there's somethin' we could swap for all our freedoms."

"That's the very first intelligent thing you've ever said, Bait," Raker drawled. "As for these human creatures…" He hesitated, then glanced at Robotnik. "What do they usually attach value to?"

Robotnik shrugged. "I've been away from home a long time, so I'm not sure, and I'm not even sure if they're from the same Earth I'm from. But back home…well, they all seemed to value animal pets and companions very highly."

"Fine," Raker said unexpectedly. "Let's sell the bait to them. He's already broken in, so that'll add a fair amount to the value. Strip him of his gloves and sneakers, toss a collar and lead on him and we can be out of here by this evening."

There was a terrible silence, during which even Robotnik backed away from the jackal.

"For Bait's sake, I'll pretend that you didn't say that," Sonic said at last.

Raker smirked. "Whatever." He caught Bait's frightened stare and let the smirk broaden slowly into a cruel smile. "I'd be careful if I were you, Bait. You never know what happens, who might turn up while you and your master are asleep..." He let the sentence trail off dramatically.

"I'm no one's master," Sonic said icily.

"No?" Raker stretched up on the balls of his feet, then dropped down again. "Well, maybe you should tell the bait that, because from what I've seen so far, he certainly seems to be your devoted slave."

"He's my friend," Sonic corrected him, causing Bait's chest to swell rather dramatically at this declaration.

"He's only happy when he has someone's feet to lick," Raker drawled. "You want to adopt him, Sonic, go ahead and try. The bait's track record with parents isn't exactly good though; two dead, one through suicide." He shook his head. "I have to wonder how the hell you've survived this long."

"Yeah," Sonic shot back. "And _I_ have to wonder how it is that _you_ survived when the poor cub's parents didn't."

"Poor cub?" Raker sneered, unwittingly echoing Knuckles' exact words back in the CDA. "Bait is a damn jinx, Sonic, I've told you that before, just like I told you how it was Bait's fault our mother drowned herself. He drove her insane with his constant whining and attention seeking. I kicked nine kinds of hell out of him but it made no difference; he still kept yelping." Raising his voice to a friendly pitch, he added, "Still remember that, do you, Bait? Yes, I thought you might—" something had flickered in the younger jackal's expression— "you had to be hospitalised for that, didn't you? And then you did something incredibly stupid and said that _I_ broke your arm. I did tell you before you went in that you shouldn't do that." He shrugged. "Live and learn, they say. Since you lived, I guess you must have learned as well. And after I did all this for you, brought you up, gave you a home and food—"

"Did he?" Sonic asked Bait quietly. The jackal nodded, and it was true. Despite everything else, Raker had fed Bait fairly regularly...or to put it more accurately, he'd never stopped the younger jackal from eating so long as he didn't steal Raker's food.

"Of course I did," Raker said lazily. "Like I was saying, how did you repay me? Abandoned me, betrayed all your friends and shacked up with some glorified thrill seeker." He paused. "That's you, Sonic, in case you hadn't figured it out."

Somehow Bait managed to find the strength to lift his head and look Raker squarely in the eyes.

"I'd rather die with Sonic than live with _you_," he said hoarsely.

"Thanks," Sonic said, then added, "I think." He shook his head. "Forget it, Raker; you are _not_ coming with us!"

Bait shifted his weight. "Sonic, please…"

The hedgehog stared at Bait. "Kiddo, you can't be serious! Why the hell would you want to take Raker after all he's done to you?"

Bait looked away, ears flat. "He's fam'ly, Sonic, an' he's the on'y real fam'ly I got. You gotta be loyal to fam'ly, you jus' _gotta_."

"How loyal do you think Raker is to _you_, Bait?"

"I trekked all over the planet trying to find the little brat," Raker drawled. "If that's not loyalty, Sonic, tell me what is."

"Obsessive possessiveness and psychotic stalking do _not_ fall under the heading of family loyalty, Raker!"

"No? Funny; I seem to remember that's exactly what you did for _your_ kid brother when Bait sold him to those slavers."

"Remind me to thank Shadow when we're out of here," Sonic said, eyeing Raker like a snake. "If it wasn't for him, we might have to take you with us."

Bait flattened his ears even more and tugged on Sonic's arm. "Sonic…"

Sonic stared at the jackal for a long time, then jerked his head towards the bathroom.

"C'mon kiddo. Let's you and me have a little talk, huh?"

Bait shot him a wary look. "What kinda little talk?"

Sonic met his gaze calmly. "Do you really think you still have to ask me that question, Bait?"

"Well..."

"C'mon." Sonic pushed the door open and waited for Bait to precede him through it, then shut it again. "Tell me why we should take Raker."

Bait scuffed a toe on the ground.

"He's fam'ly," he repeated miserably.

"And?" Sonic pressed.

"Raker's never done what Robotnik has, not never. How come it's okay for you to be loyal to your worst enemy but not for me to wanna be loyal to my brother?"

"Because Robotnik's sane enough to be reasoned with!" Sonic shot back, then dropped onto the ground, back against the wall. "Look kiddo, I admire your faithfulness, I really do, but sometimes you just gotta face the facts. If we leave Raker here, you'll never have to worry about him again."

Bait fixed Sonic with a look. "You're gonna strand my brother on an alien planet for the resta his life an' you expect me not to worry about him?"

"You think he'd worry about you?"

Bait flattened his ears. "Whass that to do with this, Sonic?"

"I just don't see why you'd want to help someone who's almost killed you on more than one occasion."

"You're helpin' Robotnik."

Sonic sighed. "I'm only helping Robotnik because nobody else knows how to fly that damn fortress, kiddo. Without him, we're _all_ trapped here."

Bait shook his head. "I ain't gonna 'bandon him, Sonic. You wouldn't either, not if you was me."

A slight smile tugged at Sonic's mouth. "Bait, if you'd shown half the backbone to Raker that you show to me—"

"—he'd on'y a broke it," Bait interrupted. "I on'y do it with you 'cause I _know_ you ain't gonna kick me around…are you?" he added as an afterthought.

"You know I'm not. But if Raker treated you so badly, why are you still so determined to protect him?"

"'Cause then he might think he wants a kid brother after all," Bait said simply.

"Bait…" Sonic caught sight of the jackal's expression and swore inwardly. It had taken him a long time to break down the protective wall Bait had built up around himself, and now he could see all his efforts going by the board.

"Suppose," he said slowly, "suppose there _was_ some way we could take him with us?"

The look on Bait's face, that combination of hope and dread mixed together, struck Sonic to the core.

"I think you're insane," the hedgehog added, "although not as insane as Raker, but if it means that much to you..."

Bait swallowed and nodded. Now he looked sick to his stomach.

"We gotta take him. Else he'll be here without anyone to stop him takin' that army an' doin' what he wants."

Sonic hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay kiddo. You win. I think I got an idea."

Getting to his feet, he walked out of the bathroom and came to stand in front of Robotnik.

"I got a question for you, doc."

"Indeed?" Robotnik smothered a yawn. "Well, I'll do my best to answer, Sonic, if I feel it's relevant."

"Are you a typical—Robotnik, what kind of creature _are_ you, anyway?" Sonic interrupted himself.

"A man. Specifically a male of the human species."

"Human, then. Are you a typical human?"

The doctor reacted, clearly offended. "Of course not! I happen to be considerably more intelligent than those clods out there!"

"So if we were to just walk out, could they stop us?"

A shrug. "I very much doubt it, Sonic. But I can't speak for our friends in black; who knows what technology they have? I would hate to see you hurt; after all we've been through, if anyone's going to reduce you to a pile of smoking goo with some hi-tech scientific weaponry, I would like it to be me."

Sonic concentrated, turning every aspect of his plan over and over in his mind, searching for flaws.

"How did your people get here?" Not that it really mattered, he supposed, but you never knew what little tidbit of information would prove useful.

Robotnik shrugged. "Who can say? This facility seems to be very shoddily planned out though, so I would guess it was something of an impromptu excursion."

"In what?" Bait said.

"Impromptu. Unplanned. When I left my world, Sonic, there were so many rules about health and safety and about not offending anyone with what one said that it would have taken centuries to put this into operation."

"Perhaps," Sonic conceded, "but we still don't know if the...the humans are from the same Earth as you. You said yourself they weren't capable of interstellar travel."

"True," Robotnik agreed complacently. "But who knows what kind of scientific advances they've made in my absence...and let's not forget, Sonic, that necessity is the mother of invention. It's quite possible that something happened on Earth, something devastating that forced them to leave as soon as possible."

"What, something like a meteorite strike?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of some kind of large-scale disaster," Robotnik answered coolly.

"They don't come much larger than a meteorite, doc." Sonic frowned. "Do your fellow humans here know who we are?"

"Not in so many details, Sonic, no. Being constantly outwitted and beaten by a hedgehog is _not_ something I want to spread around, especially not among my own kind."

There was a long, long silence.

"Are your pods still good, doc?" Sonic asked.

"Of course."

"Right." The hedgehog looked around. "Listen..."

Back in the control room, Shadow swore and slammed a hand down onto the board.

"Omega, can't we increase the volume on these things?"

"Negative. Why?"

"They're mumbling! I can't hear a damn thing!" The hedgehog diverted power to the bugs from the main supply, ignoring the startled cries from outside as the lights dimmed dramatically.

It worked; the additional power amplified the sound (human devices really were incredibly inefficient, Shadow thought wearily) just in time to hear the end of Sonic's plan.

Shadow smiled slowly, lazily. It wasn't something he did very often.

"An interesting choice." There was a pause, then the hedgehog got to his feet, the smile broadening. "Come on, Omega. Let's get the hell off this rock."

**Okay, that's it for this part :P Hope you liked it and if you read, please review!**


	13. Rescue and Capture

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Heh...that's kind of the effect I was going for :P It will be cleared up in the next Sonic chapter, promise ;)**

**Matri90: You're so right ;)**

**Maverick87: Thanks :D And you'll find out about Sonic's choice…all in good time ;)**

**Milette Tails Prower: (snickers) I know. I am evil. As for the Really Depressed Badnik…hmm (gets thoughtful expression) ;)**

**Shadow-spawn180: Well, I didn't want to ruin the ending too soon :P And yeah, Bait's a little too loyal at times (sighs) Poor kid ;)**

**Forgotten Muse: I try :) Grumpy Shadow…oh yeah :P**

**Owl: Well…it would have been too easy to have them leave Raker behind, wouldn't it? ;)**

**Sakaki's Little Sis: (blushes) Thanks :D As for beating Raker in the face…you're welcome to. The queue starts right over there ;)**

**Abraham Lincoln: Thanks…not sure my writing's ever resurrected anyone before :P Guess there's gotta be a first time for everything.**

**Isu-Lozeko: (blushes again) Thanks :)**

**Private somebody: The vote was something of a foregone conclusion, yeah :P Shadow…you'll find out about that smile pretty soon ;)**

**The Golden Dove: Well…not all chapters can be action-packed, filled with heroics (though you'll get your fill of that in upcoming chapters ;)) Oddly enough what you said about Bait did occur to me too; he does complicate matters slightly :P And no worries; I'm not gonna kill him off. At least, not yet (weg) What happens in the future is anybody's guess…**

_Guardian's Log no. 11498_

_So we're back in Scrap Brain. Great. Now we just have to find a way into the tunnels, retrieve a new chunk of Chaos matter to serve as a replacement Master Emerald, and fetch out my sister._

_Man, that last part feels weird._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_I'm inside the tunnels! And Knucklehead thought I couldn't make it on my own! I haven't even flipped out yet!_

_I'm still scared though. It was really bad last time I was here; I keep thinking someone's gonna grab me or that Scarface is invisible and waiting._

_--Tails_

Tails flattened his ears, nervous. Getting back into the tunnels hadn't been a problem - the building entrance Sonic and Knuckles had used before was now abandoned - and sneaking into the library hadn't been too hard either. Finding the prison cell which had the tunnel he'd dug _into _the library had been slightly tricky, but eventually he'd spotted someone carrying a tray of rancid food (and that stuff only ever went to the prisoners) and followed them. It had been late at night and the place was running on a skeleton crew. Not only that, but apparently there had been an attempted breakout in another section of the tunnels, which had drawn most of the overseers to it, leaving the way to the prison and the library relatively clear.

It had changed somewhat from when he'd last been there. The books - once carefully stacked on the shelves - had been strewn carelessly around the room where people had tried to read them, failed and thrown them aside in frustration. The library was abandoned now; clearly people felt that translating the texts was a worthless effort and they couldn't spare the labour.

Tails had grabbed the first one he got to and clutched it tightly to his chest. He felt almost justified in taking it; he was rescuing the book from such rough treatment, taking it to someone who would revere and appreciate it.

The problem came right about now. Two slaves had turned up, blocking the entrance, and it was clear that nobody knew quite what to do at the moment.

Tails was so tense he was quivering slightly. If they called someone...he'd seen what happened to runaways when they were recaptured.

Eyes pleading, he raised a trembling finger to his lips for silence and the larger of the slaves - a maned wolf - nodded once, almost imperceptibly. The smaller - a fennec who was so young Tails doubted he could talk yet - didn't respond except to swivel both huge ears towards the fox.

Creeping forward, Tails said very quietly, "D'you know the way to the Open Mouth?"

The wolf hesitated. Despite not having official locations, the tunnels had plenty of informal landmarks. You had to have something to get your bearings and find your way around, otherwise you'd end up going in circles the whole time. The question currently going through his mind so clearly that Tails could almost see the thought balloon was how on Mobius did someone like Tails – plainly not a slave _or_ an overseer – know about it?

The Open Mouth was a small niche in the rocks that had taken its name from the shape formed by the stalagtites and stalagmites surrounding it, and it was also very close to the exit...so close, in fact, that most people balked at asking for it in case an overseer heard and took it the wrong way.

Tails allowed a small amount of frustration to creep into his voice as he added, "C'mon, I gotta get there _now_! Get me to the Open Mouth an' I'll get you the rest of the way!" Lunging, he seized the wolf by the arm and yanked him back into the main network of tunnels. "Which way?"

"That way, but—"

"C'mon, let's go!" Tails raced off, the two slaves trailing behind him.

It took another three intersections and fifteen minutes' hard running before they reached the Open Mouth, and reached it undetected. Tails grinned broadly. Looked like his luck was in; that breakout really had come in handy.

In fact...Tails hesitated, the audacity of the thought that had just occurred to him taking his breath away. Could he? _Dare_ he?

"Take this." Tails shoved the book into the wolf's arms. "Take it and you gotta get it to Espio. He's staying in the Golden Hotel, room four one eight. Tell him to give it to Knuckles. He'll know what to do with it."

The wolf took it and handed it to the suddenly curious fennec, who sniffed it, shook it, bit it, finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't food and handed it back disgustedly.

"What are you going to do?"

Tails drew himself up. "There's a young echidna in there an' I'm gonna go get her out!" He hesitated for a few minutes before saying, "Uh...mebbe you better take that book to Espio anyway. Tell him Tails sent it an' to give it to Knuckles."

Before the wolf had a chance to refuse, he turned and raced back. Despite his bold declaration, he'd already made up his mind that he'd only search the parts of the tunnels he was familiar with. A quick search now, while everyone was busy with that breakout – and despite knowing better, Tails hoped fervently that it had succeeded – and then out and back to Knuckles.

He almost made it as well. Tails didn't manage to find the echidna, and if he was honest he wasn't too surprised about that, but he managed to search the place and come within sight of the exit without being detected. He'd had one or two close calls, though, and more than his fill of this place. It was past time for him to go.

Breaking into a run, using both namesakes for added speed, he was barely ten feet away from the exit when the wall seized him by the arm and yanked back so hard that Tails almost dislocated his shoulder.

At least, that's what it looked like. For about five seconds.

"How you got this far," Scarface said very pleasantly as he shaded into view, "is almost as much of a mystery as why you came back in the first place. I shouldn't bother to struggle, if I were you. It'll only make it worse on you in the end."

---

Espio was worried.

He didn't usually concern himself with what he viewed as circumstances beyond his control, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that Tails going back to the tunnels was partly his fault.

He'd tried training, but his heart wasn't in it and even the trash talk shows didn't serve to take his mind off the fox.

That was only half his worry. The other half came from the fact that if Tails wasn't back soon, Espio was going to have to break the truth to Knuckles, and that was something he wasn't looking forward to.

In spite of his love of privacy, the knock at Espio's door three talk shows later came almost as a relief to the chameleon. He didn't have any softer feelings towards Tails, but he hadn't wanted the fox in any serious trouble either. Even Tails probably didn't know what they'd have done to him if he'd been recaptured.

Opening the door, he came face to face with a maned wolf, behind whom was hiding a shy young fennec.

"You got the wrong room," Espio said curtly.

"Are you Espio?" the wolf said.

The chameleon froze, then turned around very slowly. "Who wants to know?" He looked at the pair then, really looked at them and saw the telltale marks, the protruding ribs and closed his eyes. "Tails...?"

The fennec inched forward, holding a book almost as big as it was, and offered it up to Espio. Somewhat nonplussed, the chameleon took it.

"He told us to bring it to you here," the wolf explained, while the fennec scurried back to hide behind his legs and sneak the odd peek at Espio. "He said you should give it to someone called Knuckles, and he'd know what to do with it."

"Who did?" As if he didn't know, Espio thought sourly.

"He never gave us his name. He was a fox kid with two tails. We found him in one of the old caves and he managed to get us out."

"Where is he now?"

The wolf hesitated. "I'm not-" He broke off with a choke as Espio seized him and ran him into the wall.

"_Tell me_, _damn you_!"

Something - the fennec - gripped his tail in his jaws, emitting a muffled kind of squeaky growl. Espio ignored it; the little canine was too young to really have sharp teeth yet and it wasn't so much a bite as a hard squeeze.

"They were watching him. Tails sent us out and threw this to me, told me where to go. He didn't know he was being followed. He thought he was still safe and he went back to look for some echidna or other. They would have picked him up before he could escape."

Espio increased the pressure on the wolf's chest. "And you didn't think to _warn_ him?"

"I thought he had a plan!" The wolf's breathing was laboured now as Espio ground bruised ribs together. "He said there was a young echidna in there and he was going to get her out! I thought he had a plan!"

"Knowing Tails, that _was_ the plan!" Espio shook his head. "How many kids do _you_ know who can put together a search and rescue strategy and carry it out without help? Now he's in the hands of some sadist because you couldn't be bothered to warn him!" He paused. "Who was watching him?"

The wolf shook his head. "I'm not—"

Espio slammed him against the wall. "Talk or I swear I'll drag you back down into those damn tunnels myself! Who was watching him?"

The other choked. "The...that blue chameleon. He was camouflaged against the wall but I thought I could smell him. Nobody else was in sight."

Espio's hands fell away and he stared unseeing into space.

_Lugnor._

He had no illusions regarding his older brother; Tails would be lucky to survive this encounter. Lugnor tended to view escapees as a sign of his personal failure. In an odd sort of way, Espio supposed he had a point.

"Fine," he said aloud. "Get down to the hospital and from there to Zone Central; you should be able to find a place to stay. Oh, and before you go, come and prise this fluffy little ball off my butt, would you?"

---

Tails forced his eyes open and stared around. He'd never seen anywhere like this before. He remembered being injected with some kind of sedative, then everything had gone dark.

How long had he been out for? Minutes? Hours? Maybe even—he swallowed hard—_days_? Had Knuckles missed him yet?

Glancing to his left, he saw someone he'd hoped never to come face to face with again and felt ice shoot through his blood.

For a long, long moment, Tails and Scarface stared at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away. Eventually the chameleon broke the heavy silence.

"Is my brother with you?"

"What brother?" Tails retorted, scowling at him. "You got about fifty _billion _of them."

A slight smile appeared on Scarface's lips. Instead of warming his features, it made them colder, more forbidding.

"Even reptiles don't reproduce that much. And you know full well who I'm talking about."

Tails' scowl increased. "An' I'm not gonna tell you if I _do_! And I'm not gonna let you chain me up again either, so you're gonna have to let me go or kill me!"

Much to his own astonishment, Scarface discovered that he didn't want to do either. The fox brat was too intriguing to waste needlessly; the chameleon had become well known for his ability to break recalcitrant slaves, and he wasn't used to being defied for so long, and certainly not by a little kid. Usually they were the first to crack.

"Don't try my patience, cub. I don't have a great deal of it. I'm going to ask you nicely one more time and if you still refuse to answer me, I'm going to beat you until you either lose consciousness or change your mind." Scarface spoke simply, almost eloquently, as though he was discussing the weather. "Is Espio with you or not?"

The scowl deepened further. "How should I know? He can go invisible. Can't chameleons see other chameleons if they're invisible?"

"Not easily, no. Oh, there are signs - the shadow, footprints, plants bending under their feet - but I suspect Espio is far too cunning to be caught that easily. For all his weaknesses and faults, my brother's no fool. Alright, since I'm not about to waste precious energy trying to beat an answer out of you that you may not have, I'll try a simpler question; did Espio know you were coming down here?"

Tails folded his arms defiantly. "No! But Knuckles does and if you don't lemme go right now he's gonna come in here an' then you'll be sorry!"

Scarface smiled coolly. "I've heard that before, cub. You also said that there was an army comprising of millions of echidnas that would come to rescue you in twenty four hours." He paused. "That was two months ago," he added, "and I'm still waiting."

There was a short silence.

"What are you going to do with me?" Tails demanded at the end of it. "You can't chain me up an' make me dig again!"

Scarface raised an eye ridge. "Perhaps you don't fully appreciate your position. I can do anything to you I damn well please. If I wanted to cut your fingers and toes off one by one with a pair of secateurs, there's nobody down here who'd stop me or even know."

Tails flattened his ears. "They'd know if I screamed!"

The chameleon shrugged. "So scream. Everyone else down here does that; you won't be unusual in that respect." He took a step towards Tails, pausing as the fox flinched reflexively. "Look. Right here, right now, believe it or not, I'm not going to hurt you."

Tails snorted. "Yeah, right. Why'd you wait until I was alone before grabbing me, Scarface?"

Scarface's eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of his nickname – Espio hadn't been kidding when he'd said his brother would resent it – then settled again.

"By rights I should knock out at least one of your teeth for questioning my actions, but in this case I suppose it doesn't matter since you're not going to be informing anyone. It's quite simple really. Those two pathetic fools go running to my equally pathetic brother, spin him a sob story, he comes down and I get to settle my score with both him _and_ you." He shrugged. "The fennec was too young to be a particularly efficient worker, and that wolf was too dull; we were lucky to get more than a few feet out of him a day. You almost did us a favour by taking them out; frankly, that iguana we lost was missed more."

Tails' head snapped up and he glared at Scarface, the light of battle in his eyes. "You better not go after him again!"

The chameleon raised both eye ridges. "Why should I? Recaptured slaves aren't exactly the easiest to train; most of them think that if they escaped once, they can do it again. The annoying part is, they often succeed and if they don't, they teach others how to." He shrugged again. "Frankly, between you and me, I usually think that any slave quick, resourceful and intelligent enough to escape has earned his freedom fair and square."

Tails clenched small fists. "So what about me?"

"I said _usually_. You're the exception which proves the rule. Besides, you didn't escape; you were rescued." Scarface leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. "And...you intrigue me. I've been in this job for almost five years now. I thought I'd seen every kind of slave and personality in existence come and go, I _know_ I've seen every form of torture and means of imprisoning, humiliating and/or crippling someone that can be devised and I've seen people brought in. I've done the majority of those things myself as well. Not all, since there are some things even I draw the line at, but enough." He shook his head, scrutinising Tails thoughtfully. "And in all that time, I have never, and I mean _never_, known an escaped slave to come back into the tunnels of his own free will. Yet you did, and not only that, you got all the way to the prison and back, and then you _still_ didn't leave. You turned round and came back _again_."

"I didn't come back to be your slave!"

Scarface chuckled. "You don't get a choice in the matter, little cub. Tell me one thing; how did you get so far?"

Tails glared at him sullenly. "There was a breakout in another section."

"And all the overseers made a beeline for it, yes, I see." Scarface sighed. "It's something I haven't yet managed to get through their heads yet; you wait at the _entrance_ and cut them off there. It doesn't seem to have occurred to any of them that if they all congregate some two miles away from the nearest way out, a lot of the slaves could escape and be clear into the next Zone before anyone discovered they were gone." He smirked slightly. "On the other hand, none of the slaves seemed to have figured that one out either, so I guess it works out pretty well."

"Yeah, 'cept for those slaves who try to break out that you whip to _death_!"

Scarface sighed. "I see you've been overindulging in my brother's horror stories about me. Do you have any idea how much time and effort it takes to beat someone to death with a whip? Last time I did it I was off work for several weeks with carpal tunnel syndrome. Far simpler and easier to decapitate or disembowel them."

"Horror stories?" Tails frowned. "What horror stories?"

It was Scarface's turn to look surprised and in his case, the reaction seemed to be genuine. "Has Espio never told you why he turned his back on our family?"

Tails shook his head, enmity giving way to curiosity, at least for the moment.

"Oh well, allow me to explain. We have time; I'm not due back on shift for another hour. Espio used to work here. Not in this area; he was based near our home in Lost Jungle Zone, but the tunnels are the same."

Tails stared at him with pure loathing. "You enslaved your own brother? No wonder he hates you!"

Scarface chuckled softly, low down in his throat. "Ohhh, he wasn't a slave, little cub. He was an overseer. Good at his job, too."

Tails wilted. He'd suspected deep down for a long time now, ever since he'd overheard that conversation between Espio and Scarface in the CDA, but he'd never expected to have it confirmed, didn't even want it confirmed.

"I don't believe you," he said, although without much conviction.

Scarface shrugged. "I'm telling you the truth. You want to look down on me because I choose to earn my living in a different way to you, then fine, but you should at least know that the guy you're with used to do exactly the same thing."

Tails leapt from the chair and bolted. Scarface didn't comment, didn't even try to stop him; instead he just waited until the fox had exhausted himself trying to open the securely locked door before speaking.

"Finished?"

Tails felt his fur stand on end. "You're gonna put me back in those tunnels, aren't you?"

The chameleon shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure _what_ I'm going to do with you yet. If you tell me why you came back here - and please don't insult my intelligence by claiming it was to try and free the rest of the workers - it might help influence my decision."

Tails tensed. "Are you gonna chain me up again?"

"Do I need to?"

"Yes!" Tails clenched his fists. "An' even that's not gonna be enough since I'm not gonna stay down here no matter how many chains you put on me!"

"I'd break your ankle if it came to that," Scarface informed him simply, then sighed. "Let's cut the crap. You're not going anywhere until I say so. I had you moved to another section of the tunnels, one you haven't been in before and one that's about twenty miles from the entrance in Scrap Brain, so even if you do get out, you'll never find your way back." He paused. "On the other hand, tell me exactly what's going on, answer my questions and I'll escort you myself. One, is Espio with you? Two, what were you doing here?"

Tails folded his arms and looked away, snout in the air. "Go wipe your butt on a cactus. I'm not scared of you; you've already done everything to me you could."

Scarface smiled slightly. "You and I both know that's nowhere near true. I'll tell you something that is, though; if you make me put you to work in these tunnels, you're gonna find that the overseers here make me look like your best friend."

"You beat me 'til I passed out that time."

The chameleon smirked. "Which time, cub?" He shook his head. "You had just tried to rip my throat out with your teeth. What did you expect me to do?"

"I'd never have done that if _you_ hadn't whipped me!"

Scarface shrugged. "I was just doing my job, which basically consists of making sure you do yours. And like I said, Espio used to be exactly the same."

Tails scowled at him ferociously. "Yeah, apart from _he_ decided to stop 'cause he had a sense of morality!"

The chameleon laughed. "_Morality_ had nothing to do with it!" He shook his head pityingly. "Have you been running away with the idea that my brother suddenly woke up one morning and decided he couldn't possibly go through another shift, that he'd changed his outlook and wanted to help everyone?"

"Y—" Tails broke off abruptly. That had been more or less what he was thinking, except now it was put into words, he couldn't seem to make it fit. Espio and helpfulness were like oil and water; the chameleon never did anything unless he stood to gain by it, either personally or financially.

"Well, he _did_," he mumbled, not very convincingly.

"I beg to differ, and I was the one who was there when he went insane. I'm also one of the very few who survived to tell the tale; most of the people down there, slaves and overseers alike, died."

Tails stared. "Espio went _insane_?"

Scarface chuckled. "Oh yes. Very, very violently."

"How come?" The fox had all but forgotten who he was talking to now; his own curiosity coming to the fore. He'd always wondered about Espio's history – especially since Knuckles had apparently been able to use it to blackmail the chameleon – and now it seemed like he could get some answers.

"You don't want me to spoil the whole story, do you?" Scarface smirked. "I'll give you a hint though; if you ever see Espio again, ask him about Verza."

Tails frowned. "Who's Verza?"

"Exactly." Scarface tilted his head to the side slightly. "Although admittedly your chances of ever seeing Espio again are negligible if you're not going to cooperate—"

"You got it!"

"—and so we have nothing further to discuss." The chameleon strode over to the door and unlocked it, slipping through and locking it again before Tails could reach it.

The fox looked around. There was nothing. No tools, no mining equipment, not even a rock on the floor; the room was utterly bare. They must have learned from last time.

Well, he wasn't gonna give up, no way! At least he still had his boots; last time they'd taken them off him and tossed them casually to one side. Tails supposed that their leaving them on him now could be construed as a hopeful sign.

He sighed. That was one thing to console himself with; at least there was no chance Sonic would be in the same situation as him. Robotnik, for all his problems, had never, ever dealt in slavery. Admittedly this was only because you could get twice the output with half the cost from robots, but that wasn't the _point_.

He studied the hinges on the door and slumped down dejectedly. Nothing there. He couldn't get those out without an exceptionally good screwdriver, and he hadn't thought to bring his toolbox.

He paced the room several times before stopping to adjust one of the fixings on his boots; it kept coming loose and Tails thought he'd probably have to fix it as soon as he got back to Angel Island.

An idea struck him at that, one that was so crazy and off the wall that it just might work.

Bending down, he pulled one boot off and began to dismantle it.

---

"Tails?" Knuckles looked around, perplexed and more than a little worried. Had the kid run away? No…the echidna shook his head. Tails had his faults, but cowardice wasn't among them. Besides, why should he have left? Maybe he'd just gone down to breakfast early, or gone to play in the pool.

Trying to ignore the little voice which whispered to him that this wasn't like Tails at all - the fox was loyal to a fault - Knuckles strolled out onto the balcony and looked down at the Zone, trying to work out the best course of action.

_I can't go blazing in; they'll be expecting that, if they're expecting anything._

Dammit, where was the fox? Knuckles wasn't given to excessive concern at the best of times – as the events back in Metropolis Zone could attest – but something was nagging at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that Tails had gone. Not just gone out, but _gone_.

The echidna also couldn't shake the feeling that Tails was in danger, which was why he was currently wearing a hole in the plush carpet attempting to figure out what to do.

There was a hard knock at the door, and Knuckles abruptly reversed direction and strode over to it,

yanking it open so hard it almost burst its hinges.

"Just where have you—" he began, then broke off as he saw Espio standing there looking more agitated than the echidna had ever seen him.

"You seen Tails?" Knuckles demanded.

The chameleon hesitated, walked in, made three full circuits of the room and then dropped onto the bed. For a long time he seemed unable to speak, and then he finally managed to look Knuckles in the face.

"Knuckles…we gotta talk."

**Okay, another one done...slightly bitty, perhaps, but still...;) If you read, please review!**


	14. Exodus

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: (blushes) Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :D**

**Private somebody: Thanks. And yes, you will learn a lot more about Espio's past in future chapters ;)**

**Isu-Lozeko: Yep :P I did originally have Knuckles spilling the beans to Tails about Espio earlier on, but that didn't quite fit ;)**

**Milette Tails Prower: (eats cookie) Ahh…breakfast ;) Thanks. As for this one being the last story in the series…(glares) The very idea:P Seriously though, I basically see this series as continuing indefinitely; I'm already working on the sequel :P**

**Nee: I have a feeling you could be right ;)**

**Charles J. Guiteau: Thanks :D**

**D.C.111: Heh, thanks :P Sonic and Shadow…your wait is over, read on ;)**

**Matt Lans: (laughs) Ooh, a sonic mining drill :P I like that one! And you'll find out what he built in due time…**

**TC Chan: No worries :) As for the rest of it, glad you liked it (and all will be revealed in due time :P)**

**Shadow-spawn180: Thanks :D And thanks for pointing out the spelling thing as well...'c' as in 'ceiling'...I gotta remember that one ;) I was always taught that _stalactite_ hung down from the ceiling like _tights_ on a washing line...I think your version is more helpful ;)**

**Forgotten Muse: Yes, I will reveal more of Espio's history, in time ;)**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_I've got a PLAN. (Bwa-da-da-BWANNNG!)_

_Heh. I've wanted to do that ever since I listened to that War of the Worlds musical back on Robotnik's ship. Man, that was one seriously cool story! Catchy tunes too; wonder if I can get a copy before we go back home? I thought all humans were scientific research types before now; I never knew these guys could actually be creative._

_'Nuff rambling. Plan time. In a nutshell, we're not gonna give into Shadow's demands._

_Well._

_Actually, Bait isn't gonna give into Shadow's demands. Me, I'd be more than happy to dump Raker, but nooo, Bait insists on bringing him. I guess I really do admire the kid's loyalty (all the time it's not on the verge of breaking my damn heart; when he said that Raker might turn out to want a little brother after all, I just about wanted to cry)._

_Anyway. Basically, Robotnik says that his pods will still work. Even Shadow can't walk outside, so the plan is for all four of us to sneak out, hop into a pod and zoom back to the fortress. When we're all back, then we'll go, and probably before Shadow even realises we're gone, much less sends anyone after us...if he could find anyone willing to go at all, that is. We'll go in, and we'll take our chances with the Void._

_Now, that just leaves the question of disguises..._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Sonic sed we can tayke Raker! I no he dusnt like him but I told Sonic hes the only famly I still got. I wanted to leev him behind (Raker not Sonic) but I wanted to tayke him too._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

Sonic stuck his head out the door. "Aren't you guys ready yet?"

"Sonic—" Robotnik looked like he was struggling to find the right words to express himself adequately and finally settled for, "You're not going to get away with this. I know I tell you that rather frequently," he added, "but this time I _mean_ it. Your scheme is never going to work."

"You always mean it, doc," Sonic said cheerfully. "And it's an idea, not a scheme."

Robotnik folded his arms. "I know a scheme when I see one, Sonic. I've dreamt up enough of them, and this is the scheme to end all schemes."

"No, it's an _idea_," Sonic repeated. "A _scheme_ would imply a sneaky, underhanded action designed to wreak the maximum amount of havoc and chaos upon unsuspecting individuals so's you can get what you want in the confusion and…hmm, I see your point. Okay, it's a scheme." He grinned broadly. "But unlike your schemes, doc, _my_ scheme's gonna work. You know that as well as I do."

"All I _know_—" Robotnik struggled uselessly, trying to get into the clothes Sonic had nabbed for him— "is that Shadow is going to have us shot the instant we set foot outside this door without his permission."

"Uh huh. And if we refuse to give into his crazy demands he's gonna have us shot. Least this way we have a chance."

Robotnik gave up on trying to button the shirt and tried the shoes instead. They, at least, seemed to fit.

"The same kind of chance as a snowball in hell, Sonic!"

"Yeah?" Sonic left off doing the stretching exercises he'd been amusing himself with and leapt into the air, turning three complete somersaults before touching back down again while Bait watched him with something akin to awe. "Haven't you ever heard the expression _when hell freezes over_?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Robotnik tried to haul the jacket on, failed and threw it across the room in a fury. "Why couldn't you have grabbed me a soldier's uniform?"

"You're too fat to be a soldier," Sonic answered. "Anyway, there are only about three here, unless you count those weird black things. Shadow seems to use them as his hired muscle rather than the humans. Bait, are you ready?"

Bait nodded vigorously. After his and Sonic's last conversation, he wasn't about to give the hedgehog any reason to be displeased with him, and despite his injuries had been ready before any of the others.

Sonic's plan – to disguise themselves, walk out, get in the pods and leave – was simple enough. It was the execution of it that was proving a little harder.

"Shadow ain't gonna let us go," Bait remarked a little nervously; he still wasn't entirely sure if he was in or out of favour with Sonic.

The hedgehog raised his eye ridges. "He's not gonna let us go if he _knows_ we're going, that's true. But if we disguise ourselves and go now…" He let the sentence trail off, then shook his head. "Kiddo, if you want to bring Raker so badly, this is the only way we can do it."

Bait flattened his ears. "I could stay, Sonic. Honest I could."

Sonic shook his head again. "Forget it. We're a team, and I'm not gonna leave you behind. The only person we could really do without is Raker."

Raker smirked. "Tell the bait that."

"I have. Several times."

"We're all going to die," Robotnik stated categorically.

"C'mon, don't be such a wimp, doc." Sonic folded his arms, smirking. "Did you never stop to think that maybe Shadow _wants_ us to escape? That he only gave us this choice to see what kind of morals we had? Maybe he'll be so impressed with our loyalty to each other that he'll let us go."

There was a short silence, then Robotnik said, "And maybe you've spindashed through one too many walls, Sonic."

"For once, I'm going to have to agree with him," Raker drawled. A malicious glint crept into his eyes as he looked at Bait. "Maybe you should have gone for that screwed up ambition of yours after all. Granted far better people than you have failed, but it could have been useful."

"Shut up Raker!" The words were out of Bait's mouth before he could stop them. If Sonic found out...

"What?" Half torn between a desire to silence Raker and his own curiosity, Sonic glanced from one to the other. "What ambition?"

Raker chuckled. "Didn't he tell you? The bait has always wanted to go on the race circuit. Even when he was a little kid, he's always dreamed of being...now, how did you phrase it, Bait?" Dropping into a surprisingly good imitation of the younger jackal's voice, he added, "I wanna be the coolest guy on 'Streme Gear!'"

Sonic laughed delightedly. "Oh man, Bait, you never told me that!"

Bait squirmed in humiliation, ears pinned back against his head.

"Proving what I've said; he's a deceitful liar," Raker said smoothly. He shrugged. "It's too competitive for you, Bait, and on the tougher courses some people don't even survive. Of course, in your case that would be a blessing, but I see no reason to shell out at least a few hundred rings for a board that'll get you killed when I can just strangle you any time I choose."

Sonic glanced down at Bait. "Much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point; it's a lot of rings if you decide you don't like it, kiddo."

"Jus' forget it, okay? I dint wanna tell you 'cause I knew you'd jus' laugh at me!"

Sonic winked. "Tell you what. When we get back to Mobius, I'll dig out my board and let you try it, how about that?"

Bait's ears lifted slightly. "You got a _board_?"

"Yeah. I had one custom made when I decided to try out the racing scene. Expensive, but well worth it."

Robotnik gave up on the shirt and smirked instead. "Yes. You realise you owe me a great deal, Sonic."

There was a long, deadly silence.

"Exactly _what_ do you think I owe you, Robotnik?" Sonic said at last, the not-so-subtle nuances in his voice promising trouble.

"Half your bank balance, for starters. It's only thanks to my influence that you wound up being Mobius' first eleven year old multimillionaire."

"I _also_ wound up being the first eleven year old who ever had to make a will!" Sonic answered curtly.

"Am I remembered in it?"

The hedgehog eyed him narrowly. "I think I promised a thousand Mobiums to the first person who gave you a hard kick in the groin, doc, yeah. Aren't you going to finish putting those clothes on?"

"I might if they were my size!" Robotnik grated. "Where did you get these, Sonic? Anorexics Anonymous?"

Sonic retrieved the jacket from where it had fallen and threw it at him. "Just get it on, doc! We don't have much time before Shadow decides to pay us a little visit." Crouching down, the hedgehog adjusted the hood on the human sweater Bait was wearing, pulling it up to conceal the jackal's snout. "That's got it. Nice work, kiddo." He winked. "Long's you keep your tail still, you could easily pass for a human."

"Yeah, with a skin disease," Raker muttered, not quite under his breath. "Face it, Sonic; Robotnik's right. You're going to die." He paused, considering. "Then again, I suppose that would tie into Shadow's demands rather nicely."

"If anyone wants Sonic they're gonna have to come through _me_," Bait said defiantly.

"Suits me fine," Raker informed him. "I'd have put you down months ago if it hadn't been for your new bodyguard."

Bait glared at him. "On'y 'cause I tole Sonic an' Knuckles where to find their friend!"

"I told you before, Bait, there's no room for grasses in our family." Raker shook his head. "You know you screwed up everything when you left? Sekko made me a pretty decent offer for you, one which I wanted to accept."

The glare intensified, although Bait edged nearer to Sonic. "I know! I read the email!"

"You mean you've been snooping in my private correspondence as well?" Raker shook his head again, clicking his tongue. "That wasn't the smartest thing to do, Bait."

"No, it wasn't the most _honest_ thing to do," Sonic corrected flatly.

"Agreed, but then he's not the most honest of people." Raker shrugged. "I've fully accepted the fact that for some obscure reason he decided to turn his back on his family to hang out with you, Sonic. I just can't help wondering if you fully appreciate what you've left yourself in for."

"I did the last hundred times you told me that," Sonic retorted. "Doc, aren't you ready yet?"

Robotnik glowered at him. "No, Sonic, I am _not_! You should have been more careful when selecting these clothes; they're nowhere near large enough for me!" Reaching down, he picked up his old clothes and started pulling them on again. "Why on earth didn't you get a larger fit?"

Sonic folded his arms. "I'm sorry, Robuttnik, but they don't seem to make them in Walrus size. Can't you suck your gut in?"

"Carry on in this vein, hedgehog, and I'll throw you and your pet back into my fortress," Robotnik said in dangerous tones. "And this time, there'll be no escape."

Sonic squared up slightly, already preparing a spindash. "Come on and try, you sick, twisted—"

"Crud!" Bait interjected. Sonic paused, momentarily startled.

"Well, I was gonna say something a little different, kiddo, but yeah, we'll go with that."

"No, look!" Bait pointed to the door. The _open_ door, Sonic corrected himself.

More importantly, the open door with four heavily armed guards standing in it.

There was a long, long silence.

"How long have they been here?" Sonic asked Robotnik out the corner of his mouth, animosity put on hold.

"Very good question, Sonic. Answer; I've no idea."

There was another, shorter silence.

"Think we should run?"

Robotnik considered. "I think that has to be one of your more intelligent suggestions, Sonic, yes."

"Then _move_!" Sonic darted back, lifted Bait into his arms and charged at the guards, knocking them both flying.

"It's so nice watching you do that to someone else's lackeys," Robotnik remarked from several feet behind him.

"Yeah, fabulous," Sonic said impatiently. "C'mon!"

Robotnik paused in the doorway. He may have been an evil genius bent on world domination, but he was also a scientist, and like most scientists was insatiably curious.

"This is amazing." He spoke more to himself than the others, eyes gleaming intensely. "The first sign of a truly alien race." He reached down, intending to pull the mask off, only to find it was fastened tightly to the body suit. "What on earth are they breathing?" Almost immediately the answer hit him; probably nothing on Earth at all. "I wonder if there's a way we could get to their world...perhaps if I could analyse the Void, the Egg Carrier may be able to—"

"WOULD YOU _RUN_ ALREADY!" Sonic yelled at him from the far end of the corridor.

Robotnik's head snapped up and around as the sound of pursuit grew louder. How had their escape been discovered so quickly?

Not that it mattered, he supposed; the important thing was to get out.

With surprising speed for a man of his build, he sprinted down the corridor and through the door which Sonic was holding open, right into—

"The laundry room, hedgehog?" Raker said flatly.

Sonic shrugged, unabashed. "It's gotta go somewhere. There's a door over there, see?" Glancing around, he added, "And speaking of doors, doc, make yourself useful and lean on that one we just came through before those guys catch up with us."

Racing forward, Sonic grabbed hold of the doorhandle and let out a yelp as an electrical current pulsed through it, electrocuting him (and indirectly Bait).

"It's on a handprint scanner," Raker said sharply, indicating the flat green field set into the wall.

"He's right." Robotnik swept the piles of clothes off a nearby table and tried to yank it free, only to find it was bolted to the ground. "A little help, Sonic?"

The hedgehog placed Bait on another table, then spindashed through the one Robotnik was pulling at, slicing through the legs. The doctor lifted it, swinging it through the air and wedging it against the door they'd just come through. A few seconds later, they heard the sound of someone thumping hard against it.

"How come they don't jus' blast it?" Bait wondered aloud.

Overhearing, Robotnik answered, "Most probably because they only have laser weapons. Impressive looking, and deadly against biological threats, but not against walls or doors."

"Laser cannons might do it," Sonic retorted.

"Not if they wanted to leave us alive," Robotnik said succinctly. "Though I don't believe they planned on trapping us here." Glancing at the washing machines, he grinned. "Trapped in a hostile place and surrounded by water and dissolving agents, Sonic. That must bring back memories. Give you any ideas?"

"Yeah," Sonic shot back icily. "I can kill you and melt down your body and nobody will be any the wiser." He glanced at the water tank on one side. "Or I could just drown you in that. It looks pretty disgusting."

"For once I agree with you." Robotnik looked away from the tank with a dramatic shudder. He didn't quite know how the scummy water figured in the clensing process – he was a scientist, not a plumber – but he didn't much like the look of it. "I've seen cleaner looking swamps."

A gleam crept into Sonic's eyes. "Swamps, huh? Anyone got a candle?"

"What on earth for?" Robotnik demanded from where he now was watching the barricaded door, then answered his own question. "Don't tell me. You're thinking of some superstitious ritual."

Sonic reacted. "Hey, this does _not_ involve superstition in any way, shape or form, doc!"

"Does it _involve_ the invocation of a certain evil spirit bent on revenge for some heinous crime?"

There was a long silence, then Sonic said with an innocent look, "Potentially."

"I thought so. If you're that eager to drown, I'll be more than happy to oblige you once we get back, but right now I think we should turn our attention to more material matters."

"You're not still on about those damn clothes, are you?" Sonic retorted.

"I mean we have to get out of here _now_, without stopping to ask any nonexistent entities for help!"

Sonic raised both eye ridges. "What, you don't believe in Queen Leena, doc?"

"I would sooner believe in Mary Worth, Sonic," Robotnik answered cuttingly. "Now if you're not going to hold a séance just yet, let's get going."

Sonic started to move, then stopped. "Who's Mary Worth?"

Robotnik clenched a fist. "Sonic, when we get out of here I'll have one of my minions write down the entire compendium of human superstitions and party games if you want, but right now we have to get _out_ of here!"

The hedgehog cast his mind back to the human movies he'd watched on the Egg Carrier Three and a slow smile spread across his face. "Wa-a-ait a minute; this isn't some kinda Candyman deal, is it?"

"No, Sonic, this is some kind of get out before we're discovered and shot dead deal!" Robotnik backed away from the opposite door, then broke into a run and hurled himself at it only to bounce off and crash onto the floor, hitting his head hard on the corner of a desk on his way down.

"Ooh." Sonic winced. "That's gotta hurt, doc."

"Your powers of scientific reasoning and deduction astound me, Sonic," Robotnik grated. Behind them, the pounding on the door redoubled, and the group returned their attention to the more pressing matter of survival.

"Open that other door!" Raker commanded.

"How?" Sonic shot back. "I'm not dropping Bait to do a spindash, not all the time you're around!"

The jackal glanced to where the opposite door was starting to give under the relentless pounding, then back at the exit. "I don't know! Hit it with something heavy!"

Sonic shifted Bait into one arm and pointed the other at the semi-conscious Robotnik. "We just hit it with a three hundred pound human, Raker! How much heavier do you want?"

"I heard that." Robotnik staggered to his feet, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. "And it's two hundred and eighty pounds, thankyou very much." He rummaged in one pocket before extracting what looked like a reinforced spray can.

"Whass that?" Bait wanted to know.

Sonic, who had had personal experience with that exact can before, said, "Acid. _Concentrated_ acid."

Bait frowned. "How concentrated?"

"I dunno, kiddo. It has a tendency to dissolve litmus paper before anyone can find out." Sonic eyed Robotnik distrustfully; he'd had personal experience of that acid before. "And I _don't_ wanna know what he's going to do with it!"

"That's rather a shame, Sonic," Robotnik said, a slight gleam in his eyes, "since it involves you."

Sonic tensed and backed off half a step. "You stay away from me, doc."

Robotnik laughed. "Oh Sonic, where is the _trust_?"

"It went to the same place as my feet," Sonic said darkly. In his arms, Bait looked down and frowned.

"But your feet are still there, Sonic."

A chill ran through Sonic's veins. "Leave it, kiddo. It doesn't matter." Glancing up at Robotnik, he added, "So what – and I know I might not like the answer – what are you planning and/or who are you going to maim with that stuff?"

Robotnik pasted a shocked look on his face. "Maim? Me? What put such an outlandish idea into your head, Sonic? I'm just going to use this to get us out."

Raising the can, he took careful aim and fired. A jet of greenish liquid spurted out of the end and hit the door, chewing through the metal in a matter of seconds.

Kicking forward, Robotnik managed to break down the door more with weight than actual power, and the group were out the laundry room and into another corridor.

"Now where?" Sonic demanded.

"You tell me," Robotnik panted from next to him, "this was _your_ idea! What were you planning on doing, just stopping and asking directions?"

Sonic skidded to a halt. "That might not be such a bad idea, doc."

"What?" Robotnik glanced at the hedgehog. "I wasn't serious, Sonic!"

"No, but I am." Sonic stepped up to one of the humans who was gawking at them and grinned brightly. "Hi. We're looking for four shuttles, look a lot like metal snooker balls with gadgets on them. You seen 'em anywhere?"

The human hesitated. "Why should I tell you?"

"'Cause he's Shadow," Bait answered. Behind him, three sets of jaws dropped simultaneously.

"I thought Shadow was black."

Bait rolled his eyes. "He's a talkin' hedgehog, ain't he? An' Shadow's a talkin' hedgehog! Anyway, aintcha never hearda the colour blue-black? He jus' swaps between the two, 'sall. Now, 'less you wanna make him mad, you better tell him what he wants to know."

Sonic cleared his throat and dropped into his best impersonation of Shadow's voice. "Exactly. Tell me where the shuttles are, or..." He wavered. He had no idea what Shadow might do to someone who refused to cooperate; with that one, anything was possible. "I'll have you shot," he finished lamely.

The human hesitated. "I dunno..."

"Look at him," Robotnik put in, for no better reason than to keep Bait's lie going. "He's the same size as Shadow. Same weight. Same shape. Same species. The only difference between them is the colour. Shadow plans on returning us to our world personally. He's just doing it like this to avoid a panic and stop people thinking he's abandoning you here."

The human hesitated, then appeared to reach a decision. "Alright, if you say so. The pods are in the main hangar, just through there." He pointed to a door that was slightly ajar, and Sonic suppressed an urge to grin at him.

"Thanks. You've been very helpful."

Maybe even that much was pushing it, he thought as the four of them scurried through the door and towards the pods there. Judging from the human's stunned expression, Shadow never thanked people, much less complimented them.

Pausing, Sonic shut the door, then glanced down at Bait.

"I don't know what's weirder, kiddo; the fact that you tried that story on him or the fact that he _believed_ it."

Already in his pod and starting up the engine, Robotnik coloured. "Yes. Frankly, Sonic, I'm a little embarrassed by my species."

"I would be, doc." Sonic deposited Bait in another pod and leapt into a third, flipping the top down and turning on the intercom. "Now how do we get out of here?"

There was a short silence.

"You're asking _me_?" Robotnik said eventually. "This was your idea, Sonic! I assumed you had some kind of plan for this part!"

"This was as far as I got." Sonic admitted. "I was kinda hoping you could do some weird science human thingy to get us the rest of the way back. Think your fellow humans will be willing to let us go if they don't think we're a threat."

"If we manage to get outside, they may be willing to let us go if they see _we're_ willing to leave them in peace," Robotnik conceded and then, because even he wasn't that dishonest, added, "Or at least, close to it."

"Peace? Man, you've come up with some weird ideas in your time, doc, but that one takes the prize." Sonic considered the idea, then grinned. "Though it could work. So how do we get through these doors to make our peaceful escape?"

Robotnik shrugged. "Blow them up, I suppose."

The hedgehog raised a cool eye ridge. "Nice. So much for the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, doc."

"I never got into any of that hippy scene, Sonic, and if you so much as _hum_ the first note of that damn song I will have two of my robots tie you up on the first beach we come to and trigger a mega-tsunami!" Robotnik said in one breath. In fairness to him, Sonic did have a tendency to fixate on and sing one song over and over again, and that particular song was one Robotnik loathed with a passion.

Sonic shivered. "How are you planning to blow these doors up, and will doing that hurt anyone inside?"

"After they locked you and your little pet up, Sonic, do you really care?" Without waiting for an answer, Robotnik went on. "No, it won't. The mechanism looks pretty simple; once any rupture is detected, the interior doors will close and provide an effective barrier to any hostile elements."

Bait frowned. "Huh?"

"He said once he blows the outside doors open, the inside ones'll slam shut and stop anyone getting hurt," Sonic translated.

"Oh."

"But that doesn't answer the question of how we're going to blow the doors open in the first place," Sonic added.

"The pods are equipped with laser blasters, Sonic," Robotnik said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sonic stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Because if I'd told _you_, you'd have started reciting some outmoded beliefs on peace and anti-weaponry, if I'd told Bait, he wouldn't have understood it since he seems to have difficulty with multisyllables—"

"Watch it," Sonic warned.

"—and if I'd told _Raker_..." Robotnik let that sentence trail off. "And besides, they're coded directly into my thumbprint."

"Meaning you're the only one who can activate them?"

"Exactly."

Sonic pondered for a few minutes. "Can you get us back to Mobius?"

"I don't know," Robotnik admitted, "but if we're stranded on the Egg Carrier, it's no worse than being stranded here, surely?"

The hedgehog swallowed, then glanced over to where Raker was settling himself in the fourth pod and nodded once.

"Let's do it."

For once, Shadow didn't know what was going on, largely because he'd gone down to what was loosely termed the menagerie. It was here that Cage had tried to lock him up, seeing him as nothing more than an intelligent animal for other humans to gawp at. Shadow had managed to enlist the support of the black aliens, escaped, killed Cage, taken his job – although that had been a development that he hadn't foreseen – released the black creatures and turned the menagerie into his own jail for the people who really pissed him off (_make them into some kinda sick sideshow, see how they like it_, his mind whispered).

The corridors leading down to the menagerie (and all the others, for that matter) had been completely and utterly deserted. Word had gone around that Shadow was on the warpath, and nobody wanted to be the target for the hedgehog's irritation.

The hedgehog in question was just wondering about the likely repercussions when the humans discovered not only his departure but also his choice of replacement when a voice behind him said, "Shadow!"

In fact, that was something of a mentally dubbed version in Shadow's mind; the nearest literal rendition of this would be something like, "_ArkroikeeEE_." The black creatures had never learned to speak Shadow's language and Shadow had never learned to speak theirs, not through contempt or laziness but simply because both races were physically incapable of making the right noises. But they could understand each other well enough, something that had largely been achieved with Omega's unwilling help. Shadow supposed that being temporarily used as a kind of giant mobile language tape stroke Dictaphone was hard on any killer robot's pride (and he'd had to threaten Omega with the biggest magnet he could find before the robot had finally cooperated) but it had paid off.

"What?" Shadow demanded. He'd rather hoped that his DO NOT DISTURB sign below the NO ENTRY one would have done the trick.

The creature made a series of sounds that sounded like someone had crossed a dog with a pig and then electrocuted it. Shadow, however, was able to discern the words for _prisoners_ and _escaped_ and smiled coolly.

"So soon? Hm. Perhaps I underestimated them."

The creature said something else, the nearest translation being along the lines of, "What do you want us to do?"

Shadow shook his head. "Not a thing. Let them go."

There was a long, long silence.

"How did they manage to find the pods, anyway?" the hedgehog asked suddenly.

"Asked a human for directions. The blue one said he was you."

Shadow's jaw dropped in a distinctly un-Shadow like expression, not from Sonic's ruse so much as the fact that anyone could have been stupid enough to actually fall for it.

"He _what_?" They were walking now, both heading towards the hangar containing the pods as fast as possible without actually hurrying. "Who was stupid enough to believe something like _that_?"

"The one who lives in there." The creature pointed and Shadow skidded to a stop so suddenly Omega almost flattened him. The guards had never bothered learning the names of humans, claiming that they all looked alike (and Shadow still wasn't convinced they weren't taking the piss with that remark, especially since they were able to match them to dwellings easily enough).

The door was shut tight. Shadow entering someone's home was unheard of; the hedgehog did at least grant the humans the right to lock their doors against him without fear of retribution, not least because he knew he could kick them down any time he chose.

He took a slightly different but equally effective way in on this occasion, pulling out his gun and hardly bothering to take aim before blasting the lock off and shouldering his way inside to come face to face with the guilty human.

The man swallowed, aware that he'd screwed up but not quite sure how.

"Did you find everything to your satisfaction?"

"Perfectly," Shadow said, eyeing the human coldly, "except for the little fact that the four people I wanted kept here at all costs appear to have waltzed right out, and now I learn that you were the one who let them go!"

"That blue hedgehog said he was you."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. As excuses went, it wasn't the lamest he'd heard – the human who'd claimed he thought obeying the rules was optional had won that somewhat dubious honour – but it still came pretty close.

"Take a good long look at me, human, and then tell me again that you think I'm blue!"

"He said he was you and that I was to tell him where the pods were!" The human was almost frantic now. Shadow's penalties for a cock up of this magnitude were legendary; the last time it happened two of the perpertrators were tossed outside to die and four more had been thrown in solitary confinement for so long that the human found he couldn't even remember what they looked like, despite having played poker with two of them on a weekly basis for eighteen months before the incident.

The hedgehog closed his eyes slowly, almost painfully. "And I suppose the thought never entered your head that – since I was the one who ordered the pods be stored in the main hangar in the first place – I would already have a damn good idea where they were?"

The man squirmed, looking like an oversized child. Something about Shadow did that to people.

"I thought you'd forgotten," he said.

"You thought _what_?" It made sense, Shadow thought grimly – it was the only reason stupid and therefore plausible enough to be true – but even so...!

More squirming before the human said lamely, "Well...people do forget."

"I don't." The words were said with a stamp of finality that was impossible to ignore.

"What are you going to do?"

"To you?" Shadow shook his head. "Nothing yet. The way I'm feeling right now, I don't trust myself to make an objective decision. You're under house arrest until I say otherwise." _And by the time you figure out that's not going to happen, I'll be long gone_, he added grimly in the privacy of his own mind.

Striding out, Omega and the guard behind him, Shadow slammed the door so hard it quivered in its frame.

In the relative privacy of the empty corridor, the creature caught hold of Shadow's arm. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving. You might want to do the same thing before this place goes completely." Shadow pulled out the Emerald and tilted it from side to side, smiling slightly before leaping onto Omega's shoulders.

"Time to rejoin our guests on that ship of theirs." His smile broadened into an unquestionable grin. He was looking _forward_ to this.

"Chaos Control!"

**Okay, so that's it for this part ;) Hope you enjoyed it and if you read, please review!**


	15. Old Enemies Reunited

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I apologise for the rant that was here earlier. I just got pretty incensed and lost my cool (hangs head in shame). Sorry guys. Didn't mean to vent like that :)**

**Pyrokinetics: Heh, thanks ;)**

**Forgotten Muse: Thanks; I kinda like that bit too :P**

**Maverick87: Thanks...fingers crossed ;)**

**Milette Tails Prower: No worries :P And thanks, glad you liked it :D**

**Matri90: Maybe he should, but then...nah, I won't spoil it ;)**

**Private somebody: Yep, he certainly is :P No, the black aliens aren't the ones from _Shadow the Hedgehog_ (besides, on my version of the game they always looked more pinky-purple to me :P) I did originally have one of the Black Hawks from Shadow's game in this, but I cut it out. The _Sonic Riders_ question...yes, I am planning an adaptation (at some point). Chronologically speaking, though, it's already happened. As for Robotnik suing Sonic...ooh, now that is a tempting idea :P Not sure he could find a lawyer to represent him though...**

**TC Chan: Thanks :D Yeah, I love writing Sonic and Robotnik's conversations; I just sit back and watch them ricochet off each other :P And you'll find out about their reaction in a couple of chapters...**

**Matt Lans: Nut Carrier? Oh man, I LOVE that :D**

_Guardian's Log no. 11499_

_When all this is over, I am going to take Espio by the throat and wring his damn neck, ninja or no ninja! I knew he was callous, but I never thought he'd do something like that._

_To summarise, he stood back and let Tails go back into the tunnels. Alone! Damn, Espio of all people should know what they'd do to that little guy if they caught him!_

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_Ha! Ol' Scarface couldn't keep ME locked up! I'm outta here; there's gotta be an exit someplace!_

_--Tails_

In the empty room, Scarface looked from the hinges – which had been neatly removed – to the door and chuckled softly. That fox cub really was something else.

"How did he do it?" The speaker was a lizard with a dark hollow where one of his eyes should be, and he liked it that way. The horror factor helped a lot when dealing with people. He was known as Sekko, although Scarface didn't know if that was his real name and, so long as the guy signed his paychecks at the end of every month, didn't care either.

"With this, I imagine." Scarface reached down and picked up a strange metal contraption, partially recognisable as the metal studs on Tails' boots. The fox had contracted them as far as they would go and used them as an impromptu lever and screwdriver to take the hinges off the door. "Ingenious."

Sekko waved a hand. "Lucky fluke, more like."

The chameleon sighed, that special kind of sigh reserved by people who know that they're far more intelligent than the idiot they're working for, then folded his arms.

"Look. When he first came down here, I thought he was just another orphan. He's not. He's smart, he's tough and he's the most resourceful person I've ever met."

"You _admire_ him," Sekko said, staring.

"Not in the least, but I respect him. I threw everything I had at that kid, hurt and humiliated him in every way I could and _still_ he wouldn't give in." If it had been up to Scarface, the chameleon would have let Tails go; while he didn't encourage escapees and was usually the one who took steps to prevent such attempts from succeeding, he wasn't a great one for useless pursuit either. The kid had come back – twice – and Scarface knew full well how much courage that had taken.

"You should have handed him to someone here."

"Why?" Scarface shook his head. "Even I have standards. Face it; nobody here is going to know who he is, the chances of his actually making it out are minimal at best, and even if someone did recognise him, they'd be so stunned to see him back here that they wouldn't do a thing to stop him. As far as I'm concerned, he's earned his freedom."

Sekko frowned at him. "Getting sentimental, Lugnor?"

"Let's just say I'm one of the old school." Scarface turned the makeshift screwdriver over in his hands. "The ancient echidnas had a tradition; if one of their slaves escaped and managed to make it all the way to touch the steps of the palace, they were granted their freedom."

The lizard snorted. "Echidnas with slaves?"

"Oh yes. They discarded the notion after only fifty or sixty years, but they have their dark side of history just like we do."

Sekko regarded the chameleon through his one narrowed eye as the pair of them left the room. "How do you know this?"

Scarface waved a hand. "Never mind that. We need to track the kid down, and fast. I'll take the tunnels, you head for the outside, make sure he doesn't escape."

Hidden in a niche high above their heads, Tails tensed as he listened. If Sekko was heading for the exit, then all he had to do was follow him.

At least, that was the theory. What would happen when he tried to put it into practice, Tails had no idea. He wished he was a chameleon. At least then he could sneak around without fear of being detected.

He saw the two emerge from the room and shrank into a smaller ball. Following Sekko was one thing, but if Scarface was with him...no, that wouldn't be good. Tails already knew that the chameleon was far harder to trick than the other, and he was most likely paranoid and unpopular enough to look over his shoulder pretty often.

Well...he still had to try.

Clambering down and dropping carefully, silently to the floor, Tails padded on through the tunnels after Sekko, ears flat, eyes on the ground. It was something he'd learned a long time ago. People saw what they wanted or expected to see; if he acted like any other slave, then nobody would notice he didn't have chains on. And most overseers wouldn't bother with obedient slaves, having quite enough on their plate with slaves who didn't fall into that category.

Scarface hadn't been lying when he said that Tails was a long way from anywhere. The fox had never seen this area before, and he had no idea how to go about getting out short of following the lizard.

His toe nudged a loose rock, scraping it against the ground, then bolted for the shelter of a nearby tunnel even as Sekko said sharply, "What was that?"

Tails spun, searching for another way out.

Nothing. He'd run right into a dead end.

Well, there was such a thing as going down fighting! He wasn't gonna give in, not ever!

Scarface appeared in the opening, cutting off his line of retreat and Tails scowled at him, raising his fists in challenge. He doubted he'd win – the chameleon had most likely been in several fights with slaves that were larger, stronger and more dangerous than an eight year old fox – but that wasn't the _point_!

Scarface stared hard at Tails for a few minutes and then, to the fox's utter astonishment, winked before turning around and raising his voice.

"There's nothing back here. You're hearing things."

There was a silence. Tails couldn't see around the chameleon's bulk and he didn't dare risk pushing past until he knew what was likely to happen. This was a new development, and it was so out of character for Scarface that the fox didn't much like it.

Apparently satisfied that Sekko wasn't going to come and disturb them, Scarface turned back to face Tails.

"I'll give you ten minutes," he said bluntly. "After that, all bets are off."

Tails scowled at him. "Why're you helping me, Scarface? Why don't you jus' call your friends down to come grab me?"

"If you don't keep your voice down, pretty soon I won't have to. As to why..." Scarface smiled slightly. "I have my own reasons. Go on, go running back to Espio and that echidna, and give them a message. Tell them to forget what they came here for."

"They're _never_ gonna forget! Not _ever_! An' if you chain me up Knux'll jus' come an' rescue me again!"

"He'd never find you here," Scarface said simply. "You'd do well to accept my help, cub. I don't offer it that often."

"I don't _need_ your help! I don't need your help an' I don't _want_ your help, or your dumb ten minute head starts!"

"Eight and a half minutes now. It really is stupid to argue with me right now, cub; the clock's ticking. Believe me, my offer's the best you're ever going to get down here."

"I'm not going anywhere without a new Master Emerald an' I can only get that from the Chaos Caves!"

The chameleon chuckled. "Well, I _really_ can't help you with that one, since you refused point blank to tell us where those caves are." He raised an eye ridge. "You want the way out? Stick to the left-hand wall. It's a slightly longer route, but at least you won't get lost using it; it's the way I always find my way around in this section."

The fox stared at him, bewildered. "Why are you doing this?"

Scarface shrugged. "Because, for some obscure reason, I don't want you dead. You're far too intriguing to kill without a better reason than mere discipline. Six minutes and counting."

Tails started to run, shoving past the chameleon, who made no move to stop him. The fox wasn't fooled – intriguing or not, Scarface was far too experienced to allow personal feelings to get in the way of doing his job – but if it served the chameleon's purpose for Tails to get out, well, he wasn't gonna complain!

Invisible, Scarface watched as Tails hesitated at the first intersection, then stubbornly turned right.

The chameleon sighed. This was likely to be a lot more complicated than he'd first suspected.

* * *

Espio twisted in midair, landing on the closet and clinging to it upside down for all of three seconds before Knuckles seized him by the arm and yanked him down.

"You actually _let_ him go?"

Espio wrested his arm out of the echidna's hold and glared at him. "Yeah, I did! Because in case you didn't figure it out, that kid was awake while we were talking and now he figures you think he can't handle going back!" He shrugged, composed again. "Making you proud of him meant so much to Tails, I couldn't stand in his way."

Knuckles stared at him in disbelief. "You..."

The chameleon glared back, but edged away; he didn't want the echidna to grab him and throw him across the room a second time, not least because Knuckles might take it into his head to aim him out the window and for all his talents, Espio couldn't fly.

"I tried to warn him—"

"You should have tried harder!"

"He only went because _you_ as good as told him you didn't want him to come!" Espio snarled, and then had to leap out of the way as the hotel TV crashed into the exact spot where he'd been standing.

"Oh sure! This is all my fault, is it?"

"Since you mention it—"

"Espio," Knuckles said in deadly tones, "I am going to break every bone in your spine for this, starting with your tail and finishing with your damn neck." He lunged forward, seizing the chameleon around the neck in question. "Last request?"

Espio glared at him. "Yeah, I want to have the biggest steak dinner on Green Island followed by twenty four hours of uninterrupted sex with that page three chameleon from _Snout Horny_. Now get off me!"

Moving forward, the direction momentarily startling Knuckles, Espio ducked his head and raked up with his snout horn, opening a nasty gash on the echidna's torso. Swearing, Knuckles let him go.

"Now, are you gonna listen to me?" Espio demanded, "or are you just gonna throw something else at my head?"

"I'm gonna throw something else at your head," Knuckles answered, and snatched up a chair.

"Alright!" Espio yanked out a shuriken, body tense. "Alright, just…give me five minutes, okay?"

"No, it's not okay! You let him go down there!"

"Knuckles—"

"Don't talk to me, Espio! Just…don't say a word!" Knuckles broke the chair in half, whirled, rammed both fists into the wall and yanked out handfuls of plaster, then spun around so fast he almost overbalanced. "How could you do it? You of all people!"

"What do you mean, _me of all people_?" Espio demanded, now fingering the shuriken and eyeing Knuckles speculatively.

"You must know what they'll do to him if they catch him!"

"Actually, I don't. Escapees being dragged back into the mines kicking and screaming, yeah, but someone walking back in? That's never come up before." Espio watched the echidna warily for a few minutes before saying, "What are you going to do?"

"I am going into those tunnels," Knuckles said in deadly tones, "and I am getting that kid and anyone else I meet out of there."

Espio gave a curt nod. "Fine. While you're doing that, I'll—"

"—be right there with me," Knuckles cut across.

The chameleon stared at him, normal composure shattered. "_What_?"

"You heard. And if anything – and I mean _anything_ – has happened to Tails, I'll take out the front page of the newspaper informing Mobius of your nasty little secrets. You'll be kicked out of every Zone you try to settle in, and I'll see to it that nobody wants anything to do with you."

Espio laughed bitterly. "Right! And in comparison with the last three years of my life, that would be different _how_, exactly?" He shook his head. "You're going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that, Knuckles."

Knuckles folded his arms. "How about I thought you might want to do the right thing for once, as opposed to the profitable one?"

"Then you really don't know me very well, do you?" Espio shot back.

There was a hot, angry silence.

"Two thousand Mobiums," Espio said at the end of it.

Knuckles hesitated, then nodded once, curtly. "Alright. Two thousand."

"Three."

The echidna stared. "What?"

"You agreed to pay me two thousand immediately, therefore you can afford three."

Knuckles ground his teeth in frustration. Admittedly if he were to sell even a twentieth of his hoard, he'd get ten times that amount, but it was the principle of the thing!

"I'll make you one last offer," he said flatly.

"I'm listening."

"Five thousand Mobiums, for everything and anything I need you to do from now until both Tails and my sister are out and with me. You don't attempt to increase the price, and you don't get paid until they're both safe, but it's still five times more than I originally offered. It's also non-negotiable," Knuckles added sharply, seeing Espio's mouth open.

The chameleon folded his arms. "We'll see about that. Two thousand five hundred for Tails, the same again for your sister. Either one could be dead by now, and I want _some_ recompense. If they're both dead, you pay me the thousand we originally agreed on for time and expenses."

Knuckles tightened his lips, then nodded. "Agreed. But you don't get so much as a half Mobium until we know for sure what's happened to both of them."

"Done." Espio picked up the chair Knuckles had tried to brain him with and replaced it in front of the large desk that graced the far corner of the room. "Think you can find your way to the tunnels from here?"

The echidna picked up the bed and righted it with one hand, then said, "It doesn't matter, since you can take me right to them."

"Sure I can," Espio said pleasantly. "Once we get to the Lost Jungle Zone, I can lead you straight to the nearest entrance. You want to take a boat or do you want to hit the cable car network again?"

Knuckles stared at him. "You said you knew the tunnels around Scrap Brain!"

"No, you _assumed_ I did. I never said any such thing. I only ever worked around Lost Jungle." Espio peered out the broken window. "By the way, don't expect _my_ help carrying that couch back up all those stairs. I'm amazed you didn't hit anyone with it."

The echidna joined him at the window. "I was _going_ to!"

"Yes, I know, but even I'm not stupid enough to stand around while someone is trying to split my head open with a piece of furniture," Espio answered pleasantly. "Charmy, on the other hand…"

Thinking about Charmy jerked Knuckles' brain onto a new train of thought. "Yeah, where is that kid, anyway?"

"I left him behind. I wouldn't normally do it under any circumstances, but this was something of a special case." Espio smiled slightly. "Literally. Besides, we've been here a while now and there's been no outbreak of explosions, sirens, fires or epidemics of disgust, so he's either behaving himself or – more likely – been abducted by space aliens."

"Yeah, well, I still say that—what do you mean, disgust?" Knuckles picked up a sheet and tossed it carelessly over the bed, then turned to frown at the chameleon. "He's annoying, but he's not _that_ bad."

With a sense of relief, Espio saw that the echidna's temper had now been completely defused and he relaxed.

"I was talking about the time he put yellow food dye and salt in the water cooler. About the only ones who weren't fooled were the canines, but since they were disgusted that a so-called reputable agency would do such a thing, they walked out as well. And speaking of walking out, we should do the same thing before someone comes to investigate the noise you've been making."

Without waiting for a reply, Espio spun on his heel and strode towards what remained of the door, then paused as he picked up the sound of approaching footsteps and turned around.

"Looks like we'll have to climb."

"Why?" Knuckles demanded. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"Correction; _I_ haven't done anything wrong," Espio said flatly and then, because he was fundamentally honest despite his mercenary nature, added, "At least, not for a couple years. _You_, on the other hand, have smashed up this room that you practically coerced them into giving you in the first place, attempted to beat up and possibly kill the person you were travelling with and broken both windows and a door."

Knuckles opened his mouth, closed it again and then said rather lamely, "Well, of course it's going to sound bad when you put it like that."

"So let's go already." Espio strode over to the window and pulled himself neatly out, descending with the easy grace of a natural climber.

Knuckles paused long enough to grab up the book Espio had left behind – he hadn't had time to look at it yet, and something said it might be important – then leapt after the chameleon and glided down to join him.

The streets were surprisingly quiet, even at ground level. The hovercar layers above them were almost deserted, as were the roads that had been put in place above their heads. It was almost like a ghost town, Knuckles thought, and then immediately wished he hadn't. His only real experience with ghosts had been inside a pyramid in Sandopolis, and he never, ever wanted to repeat the experience.

Hopping off the wall, Espio looked around and blinked. "Where is everyone?"

Knuckles shook his head, uneasy for no reason he could fathom. "I don't know."

They started walking down the empty street, neither making very much sound. Both were loners, Knuckles by nature and Espio by necessity, but the silence of this place was just eerie.

"Think we should knock on a few doors?" Knuckles said, after they'd been going for about ten minutes.

"I doubt they'd answer." Espio considered for a few more minutes. "It's interesting though; I've seen this before, back when Vector was alive. I was out on a job at the time and had to pack it in."

Knuckles drew to a halt and frowned. "How often does this happen?"

"I've only seen it once before, but I'm pretty set in my ways." Espio said this matter-of-factly, without any trace of shame or embarrassment. "It could happen every day and I just haven't seen it before."

In spite of the warm day, Knuckles shivered. "This is unnerving. I wish there was someone else around, just to see them."

"_Espie_! Hey ESPIE!" There was the sound of buzzing wings and Charmy zipped down to join them, whizzing around and in between them in a rapid figure of eight. "Espie, I _thought_ I saw you! What're you doing here? Did you solve the case? Did you get the dosh?" The bee spun and without pausing for breath added, "Hi Knux! Whatcha doing here?"

"Talk about be careful what you wish for," Espio muttered, not quite under his breath.

"Espie, we gotta talk! I gotta tell you something!"

"It can wait until I'm done."

Charmy picked up the pace, zooming faster and faster until he was little more than a blur before stopping so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. "But _Espie_…!"

"I said _no_, Charmy, now beat it!"

The bee pouted. "Espie, I _know_ you think I'm jus' a hyperactive whiny kid with belly button lint for brains—"

"Correct."

"—but I'm still a detective! An' I detectived something really really weird, Espie! You _gotta_ listen to me! We could make _loadsa_ money on this one!"

"Charmy, I told you to—" Espio broke off, paused to consider this latest revelation and then said, "Go on then."

"YAY!" Charmy turned a full somersault and a half, addressing Espio upside-down. "This place is a _huge_ city with loadsa cash!"

There was a silence.

"You're proud of yourself for having worked _that_ one out?" Espio said flatly.

Charmy nodded vigorously, the movement looking faintly ridiculous upside-down. "Uh huh! Where'd they get the money from, Espie?"

"Tourism, of course."

"AHA!" Charmy held up one finger. "How? 'Cause this place was a real _dump_ before, Espie! Sure they get loadsa cash from tourism now but what about before when it was yucky and nobody wanted to come? How'd they get the money to fix it up then?"

"I don't know and I really don't care. Now, if you've nothing useful to say—"

"Hold it." Knuckles was staring at Charmy. Against all the odds, and all previous experience with him, the bee actually seemed to be making a little sense. "Go on."

Charmy beamed. "Well, they _gotta_ get it from somewhere, right?"

"Yeah. When Sonic and I were staying here, they told us they'd cashed in on tourism since it was one of the places he'd saved." Knuckles snorted. "Though these days, that doesn't really narrow it down."

"_Sure_ they told you that, 'cause they didn't want you to find out their dark humongous _secret_, Knux! An' no tourists'd come _here_, nuh uh! 'Cause there're _loadsa_ other places Sonic's saved on Green Island!"

Espio looked at Knuckles. "He's wasting our time. Do you want to get to Tails or don't you?"

"C'mon Espie, trust me! You an' Knux get the proof, we sell this story, we bust open a _humongous_ slave ring and get all the fame and glory!"

"Run that by me again slowly," Knuckles said, equally slowly. "What slave ring?"

"_Ev'ryone_ in Scrap Brain Zone _knows_ about it, Knux! They got the money from it at the beginning an' now they don't _need_ the money but the bad guys are saying if they try an' shut down trade they'll jus' take the inhabitants! So ev'ry Wednesday at this time ev'ryone hides an' lets the slavers bring in people an' turn a blind eye to it an' in return the slavers leave everyone in this Zone alone!" Charmy paused for breath, then gurgled as Knuckles seized him by the throat.

"You're telling me they _know_ about this? That everyone here is in on the deal?"

Charmy managed to nod. "Yup! _Everyone_! 'Cept us, accourse! Me an' Espie never had _anything_ to do with slaves, never never _never_!"

"So how did you find all this out?" Espio demanded, in an effort to steer the conversation out of these dangerous waters.

"Puh-LEEZE! I'm a detective!"

"You're a mascot," Espio corrected him brutally, "and that's not answering my question."

"I can't 'splain yet, Espie, 'cause I gotta check some more stuff out! But you believe me, right?"

The chameleon stared long and hard at him before saying reluctantly, "Yeah." For all Charmy's faults, he wasn't a liar.

"YEAH!" Charmy beamed hugely. "An' we really can make serious money, Espie, an' save all those people! We can expose it!" The bee wriggled free of Knuckles' hold and zipped around both their heads before coming to hover in front of them in a reclining pose that was belied by the huge grin on his face. "This time next year we'll be millionaires!"

There was a long, long silence, and Knuckles glanced at Espio and said tonelessly, "Something tells me he's right, but something's also telling me I should hit him."

The chameleon didn't answer. All his attention seemed focused on a point over Knuckles' shoulder.

"Charmy?" Espio's voice was low. "Get back to HQ. Now."

"But _Espie—_!"

"_Now_!"

Charmy pouted, then caught sight of the intensity in the chameleon's expression and decided that maybe he'd be better off at home after all.

Besides, he still had _loads_ more detecting to do!

Knuckles glanced at Espio. "What's your problem?"

By way of reply, Espio nodded towards the only other figure besides themselves and the rapidly retreating Charmy who was out on the streets.

The echidna stared. "Isn't that—"

"Yeah."

Unexpectedly, Knuckles' face split into a hard grin. "Perfect!"

Striding forward, he caught up with the hurrying lizard and tapped him on the shoulder, then when the other turned around, smiled broadly at him.

"Long time no see, Sekko. This is the second time you've hurt someone close to me."

The lizard licked his lips. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The echidna's smile didn't move. "Really? Allow me to refresh your memory."

Seizing Sekko, he swung him over his head and sent him flying through the air to crash into a hovercar, setting off the alarms. Even that failed to bring people out.

"Now, where's Tails?" Knuckles continued.

Sekko sat up, somewhat dazed but reflexes still working well enough for him to say, "Who?"

"You heard." Espio moved in, cutting off the other's line of escape. Sekko frowned at him in a manner which suggested he was trying to place him, then a slow smile appeared on his face.

"Well, look who it is. It's been a while since Lost Jungle Zone."

"You must have me confused with someone else; I've never seen you before in my life." There was such conviction in Espio's voice that Knuckles would have believed him if he hadn't known the chameleon was lying.

"I find that hard to believe, Espio," Sekko answered, ignoring the echidna (who was currently stalking up on his blind side). "I never forget a face."

A blade materialised out of nowhere and came to rest directly underneath his jaw.

"You'd do well to forget mine," Espio said, voice deadly quiet.

Sekko tried not to swallow, kept his voice light and casual. "Is that a threat?"

"I don't make threats. Just promises." The chameleon leaned in. "Now where's the kid?"

Sekko sighed. "I really couldn't say. We separated him for his own safety, and when we got back to talk to him he'd vanished. He always was ungrateful."

"_Ungrateful_!" Knuckles slammed into Espio, knocking him aside, and seized hold of Sekko's throat, crashing him into the wall behind. "Just what the hell did you ever give him to be grateful for?"

"He had a home, food, and no worries about finding a job or earning money for the rest of his life. Most Mobians would love to be in that situation."

Knuckles tightened the hold. "Say that again?"

Espio caught the echidna's wrist. "Leave him. Killing the asshole won't do any good."

Knuckles whirled, seizing Espio instead. "If you think I'm gonna let him go just because he used to be your boss—"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of how the hell are you going to rescue Tails when you're locked up for murder," the chameleon interrupted curtly.

There was a short pause, one which Sekko took advantage of to turn and run.

"Hey!" Knuckles started after him, but Espio grabbed him.

"You can beat the crap out of him later, if you really think it'll solve anything. Right here, right _now_, we have _got_ to find Tails."

Knuckles stalked away, fists clenched, then abruptly spun around. "Did you never think that maybe he's gone off to _warn_ someone?"

"Tails?"

"Sekko!"

Espio smirked slightly. "Don't get so worked up, Knuckles. You should take more care with your pronouns."

Through clenched teeth, in Sagayan and no uncertain terms, Knuckles informed the chameleon exactly what he could do with his damn pronouns and where he could put them afterwards, proceeding to add in Mobian, "He could have gone to order Tails' death!"

The chameleon rolled his eyes. "Alright. Firstly, Tails is not dead. They don't kill recaptured slaves, because that's a waste of labour on both sides. Secondly, he's probably not that badly hurt, since – unless your sister was kind enough to do the honours – they need him to translate those books. Thirdly, it doesn't matter if Sekko was going out to warn someone or not, since you can bet your island that Tails will have most probably threatened everyone down in those tunnels, slaves and overseers alike, with your temper. They'll be on red alert as far as he's concerned, especially seeing someone's already managed to rescue him once."

Knuckles stared at the chameleon. "Did you ever...were you..."

Espio filled in. "You mean, did I ever bring the goods in?" He shook his head. "No. I didn't even see the new arrivals until I'd been in the job about eighteen months. They don't let rookies near them until they know they can be trusted. Six months later, I killed most of them and left."

"You _what_?"

The chameleon raised his eye ridges. "I had to. I know that won't make a lot of sense to you, but I had to." He shrugged again. "It was a necessity, nothing more. The slaves would have thanked me and the overseers...well, by your own logic, they deserved to die."

There was a long, almost shocked silence.

"You ever killed someone for money?" Knuckles asked at last.

Espio shook his head. "Never. It's one of the very few things I _won't_ do for money, unless you either offer me six figures or five figures plus definite proof that the guy shouldn't be alive. If that's what you want, though, I can put you in touch with some people with fewer morals than myself who'd be happy to oblige."

Knuckles jerked out of the chameleon's hold, staring at him coldly. "That won't be necessary."

Espio didn't drop his gaze. "Good. Then let's get moving before it's too late."

**Okay, so that's chapter 15 done :D More will be along very soon...**


	16. Bargain Fulfilled

**Maverick87: Thanks, glad you liked it :)**

**Pyrokinetics: Erm...do I detect that you're not exactly an Espio fan? ;) Then again, like you say, he did just slice up Knux' torso :P**

**TC Chan: Heh, thanks. Yeah, I love Espio's last wish as well. It was originally just going to be one hour, then I thought, nah; let's go for broke :P**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: You'll find out soon enough ;)**

**Matri90: Yeah...well, he sort of did, anyway...**

**KR Mitchell: (blushes) Wow, thanks :D As for an army...I sort of see Mobius as being too peaceful to need one; after all, they don't have wars or anything. And like you say, with Sonic around, who needs the troops ;)**

**Shin-Ashura: Thanks :)**

**Private somebody: Jeez, for some reason your review isn't showing up. Oh well; guess it's another bug :( Anyways, the Knuckles-getting-kicked-out-of-hotel thing...yeah, I'd say that's a distinct possibility :P As far as all of Scrap Brain being in on the plot goes...the population of the Zone is huge, Charmy's only really seen his surrounding neighbourhood and we all know how the bee loves to exaggerate ;) More on that later though...**

**Milette Tails Prower: Heh, thanks :D One more Knuckles fan...my work here is done ;)**

**Matt Lans: Yeah...Knuckles can be somewhat unsafe whenever he's mad :P**

**Parslie: Okay, here; is this soon enough? ;)**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_YEAH! We made it! We're out, we're heading back to Robotnik's fortress!_

_Wait...that's not a good thing, right? Right?_

_Well, maybe it is. The doc might be able to get us back to Mobius, and at least we managed to give that Shadow guy the slip!_

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_We eskayped Shaddoes playce! Sonic can get us bak to Moebius and well be home agen soon._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

Shadow looked around at the bridge, at the vast array of panels and machinery coupled with the egg chair and raised an eye ridge.

"Impressive." It was impossible to tell from his tone of voice whether he was being sarcastic or not.

He'd been on the Egg Carrier Three for two hours now, and so far nobody had registered his presence. Although he would never admit it to himself, Shadow was starting to worry slightly; he didn't know how to go about flying this thing, and being stuck here wasn't much better than being stuck back in that damn facility. Were the others just planning to hang around and stay here, without even attempting to leave?

On the other hand, at least now he wouldn't have any humans kicking down his door and demanding he solve their problems for them. That thought made the normally dour hedgehog brighten considerably.

Well. If Omega obeyed his orders (and that was the main problem with a robot who had rebelled against its creator; sometimes it felt it had to keep _on_ rebelling just to make a point) then there would be no further problems anyway. If not, Shadow could quite easily take out Omega with the rest of the others...as soon as they were safely back on Mobius, that is.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Omega was about the closest thing he had to a real ally; he didn't want to destroy the robot.

Shadow sighed. He'd originally planned to be waiting for Robotnik on the bridge, banking on his unexpected presence to give him the edge in any negotiations and force the doctor to return him to Mobius. Now it looked like he'd have to search out Robotnik himself, not because the doctor wouldn't come onto the bridge but because Shadow was bored of waiting for that to happen.

Half turning, he leapt off the dais and skated through the door.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Egg Carrier Three, Bait couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him, and had been for a long time now. 

Easing himself out of his hammock, Bait padded over to Sonic, who was muttering and thrashing around. His voice was too indistinct (and incoherent) for the jackal to make out any words, and even if it hadn't been, Bait still wouldn't have listened. About the only thing he'd ever heard Sonic say clearly was _treadmill_ and something about burning, and he didn't want to pry too deeply into that one.

The hedgehog's body went completely rigid, then his head snapped violently from side to side.

Bait flattened his ears. He hated it when Sonic was like this; if he was honest it frightened him a little.

"Sonic?" Reaching out with the good hand – the one that held the blankets – Bait put it on the hedgehog's chest and pushed in an effort to wake him up.

"_No_!" Lashing out reflexively, one of the hedgehog's hands caught hold of Bait's and gripped it hard, grinding the broken fingers together. Bait let out a yelp that verged on a shriek and the sound yanked Sonic out of sleep; he sat bolt upright and stared around, unseeing.

"What..."

"Sonic..." Bait's ears were flat against his skull with the agony. "Sonic..._please_..."

"Bait?" The hedgehog blinked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Let go. _Please_ Sonic, you're hurtin' me."

"What? I'm..." Sonic's voice tailed off as he looked down to see his hand gripping Bait's broken one in a cruel hold. "Oh. Oh kiddo, I'm so sorry. C'mere."

Bait allowed Sonic to pull him into a hug, quivering all over.

"I dint mean to wake you. Jus'...you bin havin' bad dreams ev'ry night now an' it were _never_ as bad as this before."

"I know. I know. Boy, do I know." Sonic shivered. "I'm sorry, kiddo, really I am. Just...don't use your broken hand to prod me when I'm having a bad night, okay?"

Bait shivered. "No fear!" Hoisting himself up onto the hammock next to Sonic with a considerable amount of difficulty, he fixed the hedgehog with an appealing look. "Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"C'n I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure."

Bait squirmed. "You promise you'll answer honestly?"

Sonic looked at him levelly. "I always answer honestly, Bait; you know that."

"'Kay. Uh." Bait hesitated, then abruptly blurted out, "D'you like Tails better'n me?"

"Oh kiddo." Sonic got to his feet with a sigh and paced the room several times before stopping to look at the jackal. "What do _you_ think?"

Bait picked moodily at the edge of the hammock, determinedly not meeting Sonic's gaze. "I dunno. Jus'...who d'you like better?"

"_Liking_ isn't some raffle prize," Sonic said flatly. "I like you both for different reasons. Okay?"

Bait flattened his ears. "I'm on'y doin' what you said, Sonic! You said if I wanted to know somethin' I had to ask you 'steada sneakin' around, remember?"

Sonic sighed. "I know, kiddo. I know." He sat down in the hammock and let Bait snuggle in next to him. "Just...that question isn't one I can really answer. If you're scared I'm gonna trade you for Tails, the answer's no."

Bait fixed him with a look that was half perplexed, half appealing. "You traded Tails for me though."

"Trading doesn't come into it." Sonic genuinely hadn't considered that his actions might be taken that way. "Tails preferred to stay with Knuckles, that's all."

"If he'da preferred to stay with you, what would you've done?"

Sonic shrugged. "Taken you both, I guess. Now let's drop the subject, okay kiddo? I'm not going to swap you, trade you in, sell you, give you away or do anything else which means the same thing." Swinging his legs up, he lay back in the hammock and closed his eyes.

Bait, recognising the subject as effectively closed, crossed over to his own hammock and sat there waiting for Sonic to fall asleep again. Previous experience had taught him that he wouldn't have long to wait; the hedgehog could drop off in the middle of an earthquake.

Ten minutes later, the jackal opened the door and slipped out quietly into the corridor. Despite the late hour, it was well lit; Robotnik supplied his own power somehow, although Bait couldn't even begin to guess how.

The jackal padded forward, feet making surprisingly little sound on the metal grille underfoot, every sense constantly scanning the surrounding (and deserted) area for signs of Raker.

He was after a chilli dog. More specifically, he was after a chilli dog for Sonic; he wanted to do something to please the hedgehog and a chilli dog was all he could think of, or at least all he could think of that he knew Sonic would like.

Agony spiked through his broken hand as he kept going. He wished Sonic had given him some painkillers. Maybe after he gave the hedgehog the chilli dog, he could mention it.

Bait's keen ears picked up something, the barest hum in the air, and he picked up the pace, ducking into the shadow of a doorway and flattening himself against the wall. It was a hiding place that would either prove perfect or useless; if whoever was coming happened to glance over their shoulder, they'd see him instantly.

Body tense, Bait waited.

"Where's that damn human?" someone said aloud from off to his right. It was clear the speaker didn't require an answer; but was just expressing his frustration with the situation in general.

_Shadow_! Bait flattened his ears. Oh man, it was lucky he'd been able to hide in time!

In fact it had been a waste of effort on Bait's part; Shadow had rounded the corner in time to see both the movement and the hiding place and the only thing that was stopping him questioning the jackal was the fact that he wanted his goals to remain hidden as much as Bait did. Unlike the jackal, however, Shadow's desire for secrecy wasn't born from fear but rather his wanting to keep the inconvenience to a minimum...and things could get very inconvenient if that damn blue hedgehog found out what he wanted and decided to try and stop him from getting it, Shadow thought grimly.

Well, the jackal kid was no threat to him, and since he had no wish to engage the cub in witty conversation, he could safely be ignored. Shadow continued on, walking instead of skating.

Inside his alcove, Bait had frozen, not sure what to do. How had Shadow got here? Had Raker brought him along? Was he after Sonic?

That thought galvanized the jackal into action. Taking a step forward into the light, he said boldly, "You better get outta here _right now_!"

Shadow paused and half turned his head, an action calculated to convey the maximum amount of disdain with the minimum amount of movement.

"Or?"

"Uh." Bait hesitated, thrown. "Well…um…"

"I'll make this easy for you," Shadow cut across, "because I'm in a good mood."

"You're hidin' it well," Bait retorted.

A hint of a grim smile touched Shadow's mouth. "Indeed. Where can I find the doctor?"

"What?"

"Dr Robotnik. I need to speak with him."

Bait folded his arms. "You're in the wrong half, an' I'm not takin' you into his, nuh uh. Dontcha know what he'd do to me?"

"I assure you, it would pale in comparison to what _I_ can do to you if you choose not to cooperate." The slight smile didn't leave Shadow's face, and Bait thought that in an odd way it was scarier than any amount of scowling or impassivity could have been.

Determined not to show Shadow he was frightened, the jackal walked over to a dispenser, tapped in the code with one hand, picked up the chilli dog and then turned to face the hedgehog.

"I ain't takin' you to him. You wanna dice with death, that's your business. It don't give you the right to drag _me_ into the game! 'Sides, lookit me. I ain't gonna be no good in a fight."

"Hm." It wasn't a word so much as a short exhalation that managed to put across both disdain and a small amount of amusement at the same time. "Perhaps not. Alright. Let's try something else. Where's Sonic?"

The jackal flattened his ears, then looked away stubbornly. "I don't know any Sonic!"

"I had you locked up with him for nearly a week in total, and you weren't acting like you didn't know him then."

"Yeah, well, I were fibbin', weren't I?" Bait shook his head. "I ain't gonna tell _you_, mister, no _way_. I dunt want Sonic to get mad at me."

"The same Sonic you said you didn't know?" Shadow queried, one eye ridge raised superciliously. Bait floundered for a few seconds before rallying magnificently. "I dunt care if I know him or not, mister; I ain't sellin' him out to you. You dunt wanna talk to no one; you jus' wanna bring summun back an' make 'em stay in that place, dontcha?" A sudden idea hit Bait then, one which would both save Sonic and allow the jackal to repay the hedgehog for everything he'd done for him. "Is this about that deal, mister?"

Shadow raised the other eye ridge and turned a little further.

"What if it is?" He was continuing the line of discussion for no better reason than simple intrigue; this was vaguely fascinating to him and he wanted to see where the jackal was going with it.

"That time when you said one a us had to stay behind…?"

"What about it?"

Bait shifted his weight. "I'll stay, mister. I'll stay an' then you c'n leave Sonic alone, right? 'Cause that's what you said; if one of us stayed behind, the others'd be free to go."

"I did say that. But since I no longer need a pod, why should I listen to you now?"

"'Cause I ain't gonna let you get to Sonic!" Bait stood in front of Shadow, arms stretched out to the side. "You wanna kill Sonic, you're gonna hafta get through _me_ first!"

Shadow set his jaw. "You seriously believe that _you_ can stop me?"

"I believe you're on'y gettin' to Sonic over my dead body!" Bait lunged forward, only to have Shadow disappear and reappear six feet away.

"That could easily be arranged, and if you don't want to find out _how_ easily, you'll cooperate with me."

"Yeah, after I chuck you off the ship!" Bait tried to grab Shadow's wrist but the hedgehog teleported away again.

"We can play this game all night if you want," Shadow said, a distinct bite to his tones now. "Or you can tell me where to find Sonic and I'll let you go." He glanced down at the chilli dog Bait was still clutching and his lip curled slightly. "I assume that _is_ where you're going, since I find it hard to believe there are _two_ people in the world who like those things."

Bait swallowed hard, holding up the chilli dog in the manner of someone warding off a vampire with a crucifix.

"You don't scare me, mister."

"Oh yes I do," Shadow said calmly. "Take me to Sonic. I'm not going to ask you again."

Bait flattened his ears and shook his head. "Nuh uh, no way. Forget it, mister; I ain't gonna help you no matter _what_ you do to me. I ain't no grass."

Shadow considered the jackal. "A pity. Noble, but still a pity. I'll give you one last chance. Tell me how to get to the doctor's, ah, half."

Bait hesitated. That in itself didn't seem so bad...

"I feel I should warn you," Shadow added, "as the humans say, three strikes and you're out."

The jackal pointed. "That way an' turn left at the end. You ain't gonna hurt no one, right mister?"

"That's up to them. Initially all I want to do is talk."

Bait, who had had ample experience of Raker's 'talks' before, shifted his weight, not entirely convinced but not stupid enough to push the issue either. Besides, there was something about Shadow...the jackal was sure that whatever else the hedgehog was, he wasn't a liar.

As Shadow turned to leave, a side door slid open with a soft hiss and Raker walked out, the broad smile telling the other two that he'd overheard everything.

"Looks like we have a little situation on our hands."

"No we don't." Bait edged away. "Shadow here is jus' gonna go to your half, Raker, an' I'm goin' back to Sonic, so there ain't nothin' for you to worry 'bout."

Striding out into the middle of the corridor, Raker stood there, blocking the way with arms folded. He was some eighteen inches taller than Shadow, and this coupled with his own nature gave him a certain feeling of invulnerability.

"You're not going anywhere until I say so. You're going to tell me exactly what you want and then _I'm_ going to tell you what you're going to have to do to earn it."

"Stand aside." Shadow's voice was low, sending a prickle of unease down Bait's spine.

"Raker, he ain't kiddin'."

Raker laughed. "And you think I am?" He shook his head. "Once I've dealt with this guy, Bait, you and I are going to have a little _chat_. I've been waiting a long time for Sonic to get bored with guarding you."

Bait hesitated, torn. Part of him wanted to bolt back to the safety of his and Sonic's room, but the other part, that part of him which remained stubbornly loyal to his brother no matter what, held him in place.

"I earn _nothing_," Shadow said in deadly tones. "You have five seconds to move out of my way."

Raker laughed again. "Or what?" Reaching out, he shoved Shadow in the shoulder. "C'mon. You wanna fight me? Bring it on."

"Raker!" Suddenly afraid, although he didn't know why, Bait raced over to the jackal and seized him by the arm. "Raker, _leave_ him! _Please_!"

Raker grinned. "Sure, I'll leave him. Once I've pounded the crap out of him, I'll leave him right here in Sonic's section. A rotting corpse will add a touch of class, don't you think?" He glanced at Shadow. "Well? What are you waiting for? It's been longer than five seconds, and I'm still standing here. C'mon, make me move." He reached out and shoved the hedgehog again, and Shadow's eyes flashed once, angrily, before he turned and skated away.

Raker laughed triumphantly. "Coward!"

"Raker..." Bait shifted away, watching Shadow's diagonal path away from them towards the wall. "Raker, I dunt think he's runnin' away."

"Now, how many times must we go through this?" Raker said pleasantly. "I think. You don't."

"But Raker..." Bait gave up trying to explain and instead pointed to where Shadow was now wheeling around to face them again, a strange light hovering around his right hand.

"_Chaos spear_!"

A bolt of vivid yellow light blasted Raker squarely in the chest and expanded, pitching him back a full ten feet. Bait, who was close enough to get the backlash (and a fair amount of the initial blast as well) was lifted and hurled in the opposite direction to crack his head against the wall with shattering force.

Shadow considered the two bodies for a few minutes. Not dead, but not likely to slow him down anymore either. Perfect. He only wished the younger one had given him Sonic's location first; now he'd have to track the hedgehog down the hard way.

* * *

Sonic jerked awake, and immediately wondered why. There had been no nightmares this time, no disturbance from a certain jackal who wanted comforting (the first time Bait had attempted to clamber into Sonic's hammock without waking the hedgehog, he'd inadvertently flipped it and sent them both crashing to the floor) and no alarm blaring either, which meant there wasn't a problem with the Egg Carrier Three. 

Well, apart from its being stranded on an alien planet.

"You made an intriguing choice, Sonic."

Sonic snapped onto his feet, staring around into the darkness. "Huh? Who's there?"

"Forgotten me already?" Shadow stepped into the light, arms folded. "I find that hard to believe, and a little disappointing considering the trouble I had to go through to get to you. Your jackal friend put up quite the fight."

For the first time in his life, he was caught completely and utterly off guard by Sonic's attack; the blue hedgehog slammed into him, sending him flying and then lunged in to grab him by the throat.

"_What did you do to him_?"

Chaos energy blasted Sonic's hands and the hedgehog snatched them away, swearing viciously.

"Where's the doctor?" Shadow said, as though the last two minutes had never happened.

"Where's Bait?" Sonic countered.

"The young jackal?" Shadow shrugged. "Still where I left him, I imagine." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and barely had time to dodge before Sonic raced past him and out the door.

There was a strange smell in the air, Sonic thought as he sped along. Kind of clean and sharp, like a plasma ball. It got stronger as he rounded a corner and caught sight of the two figures lying there.

"Bait?" Sonic dropped to his knees next to the jackal's motionless form. "C'mon kiddo, talk to me!" His questing fingers found a faint pulse and hope flared in him, then dissipated. That pulse wasn't likely to last much longer.

Sonic pushed himself to his feet and clenched a fist. He knew Shadow was behind him, could sense the hedgehog's presence, and didn't trust himself to look at him.

"Give me your Chaos Emerald." His voice was choked, low but perfectly audible. "_Now_."

Shadow snorted. "Just like that? You're insane. If I give you mine, I'll never get it back."

"An exchange then." Sonic held out the grey Emerald. "I'll give you this one in return for yours."

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Intriguing. What's so special about mine?"

"It's the healing one. Shadow, if you don't give me the Emerald, the kid'll die!"

The second eye ridge joined the first. "And?"

"Give me your Emerald, Shadow, or I'll destroy this entire ship and you with it. I don't care if that takes me out as well, I'll do it. Damn, you can have it back when I'm done! Just _give_ it to me now, _please_!"

Shadow studied Sonic for a few minutes before relenting. He wasn't, by nature, cruel.

"Fine." He handed over the light blue Emerald to Sonic, who grabbed it and stared into it as though willing it to divulge its secrets. Sonic had never tried actively using one of the Chaos Emeralds before, and he struggled to remember what Knuckles had told him about them way back in Robotnik's fortress. Something about focusing the energies...

Crouching down, he placed the Emerald on Bait's body – the last thing he wanted was to heal Raker by mistake! – then half closed his eyes, concentrating hard.

He was vaguely aware of Shadow skating past him to stand to one side and tensed, ready. If Shadow thought he could finish what he started...

In fact, Shadow had no such intentions; he was simply intrigued. He'd never used Chaos Emeralds for anything more than basic combat, and they were all equally capable of that.

The Emerald glowed, taking on a dazzling bluey-green light that neither Sonic nor Shadow had ever seen in the real world, then a beam of that light slid out to cover Bait's body. It stayed there for a few minutes, then gradually cleared.

Bait stirred, groaned and then opened his eyes, squinting against the brightness of the overhead lights. "Am I dead?"

Remembering how he'd felt when Knuckles had used the Master Emerald to heal him, Sonic shook his head. "No, kiddo. You're fine."

"Sonic?" Bait tried to sit up and failed. "Sonic, you gotta get outta here. Shadow's lookin' for you. He tried to make me tell him where you was, but I dint. I swear."

Sonic patted the jackal on the shoulder. "I know, buddy. I know. You did good."

"He blasted Raker. Sonic, is he gonna be okay?"

_I damn well hope not_, Sonic thought bitterly. Raker dying would solve a lot of their problems very nicely.

But there was no way on Mobius he could explain that to Bait.

Shadow stepped forward, reached down and took the grey Emerald from Sonic's quills. "Mine, I believe. Now, for the final time of asking, where is Robotnik?"

Sonic glanced up at the other hedgehog, irritation at Shadow's lack of sensitivity overcoming his gratitude for the Chaos Emerald.

"Down there, hang a left at the intersection. You can't miss it, Shadow; once Robotnik's lackeys grab and roboticise you, you're there."

"Show me."

Sonic snorted. "Are you nuts? I can't leave Bait like this!"

Bait squirmed. "I'll be okay, Sonic, honest."

The hedgehog glanced at Bait, then at Raker's still unmoving body. "Sure?"

A nod. Sonic gave in. "Alright, kiddo. You go on back to our room and lock the door until I get there, okay?"

Getting to his feet, he fixed Shadow with a far less friendly stare than he'd turned on Bait. "I hope you can keep up with me."

Shadow's expression didn't change. "I'm sure I can manage."

"Good," Sonic shot back, then turned and sped away down the corridor.

Left alone, Bait edged closer to Raker's motionless form. He didn't fully believe the older jackal was unconscious; he'd been caught like that before.

"Raker?" he ventured.

No response. Even that wasn't enough to dissuade Bait; Raker was exceptionally good at playing dead when the fancy took him. It took a good few minutes before the younger jackal could summon up the courage to nudge his brother's shoulder.

Still nothing. Bait flattened his ears nervously and tried again, harder this time, trying to ignore the coldness of Raker's body. Sonic's instructions were all but forgotten now; all Bait cared about was trying to wake Raker up and blocking out the little voice that said this was no longer an option.

* * *

Having dumped Shadow at the entrance to Robotnik's half, Sonic was on his way back to his room when he heard racing footsteps. The sound had barely registered in his ears when Bait hurtled around the corner and crashed into him, sending the hedgehog back a few steps. 

"Hey, what's this?" More startled than anything, Sonic stared down at the jackal. "What's up, kiddo?"

"It's your other jackal friend, I imagine," Shadow said coolly, materialising next to them. "He made the mistake of getting in my way."

Sonic sat down on the floor – with the way Bait was clinging onto him, it was that or go over on his back – and stared at the black hedgehog.

"What did you do?"

"A little thing called Chaos Spear. I didn't think you'd know about it." Shadow shrugged. "He was attempting to threaten me. Now he's not. The ends justify the means as far as I'm concerned."

Bait's grip on Sonic tightened and the hedgehog rubbed his back soothingly, almost automatically, staring at Shadow. He'd never liked or approved of Raker and his way of dealing with people (Bait in particular) and he'd never been able to figure out why Bait defended him so vigorously, but he still didn't like hearing Shadow discuss him so dismissively.

"Chaos Spear?"

"If you want a demonstration, I'll gladly oblige. Leave the kid though; he's no part in this."

Sonic got to his feet suddenly, so suddenly that Shadow shifted his weight back.

"How badly is Raker hurt?"

It was Shadow's turn to look perplexed, although in his case it was far less obvious. "You saw him, Sonic. I would have thought you could answer that question yourself."

"Sonic?" Bait's voice was barely a whisper. "Sonic, you gotta do that thing with the Em'rald. You helped me. You gotta help Raker."

"Too late," Shadow said levelly. "Your little friend only got caught in the backlash. The other one? He got the full force of it. Nothing could have survived that."

"You're lyin'!" Bait pushed himself away and lunged for Shadow, only to have Sonic catch hold of him and restrain him, not roughly but firmly.

"Bait. Bait, listen to—"

"You lemme go right now, Sonic!"

"Not yet." Dropping to one knee, Sonic turned Bait around to face him and held him there. "Bait, attacking Shadow isn't going to change what he did. C'mon. Let's you and me go take a look, see if anything can be done for Raker. Okay?"

Bait eyed him suspiciously. "If it can, will you do it?"

Sonic hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, kiddo, I will. I promise."

The pair of them made their way back to the section of corridor, Bait pressing so close to Sonic that the hedgehog was all but tripping over him.

Raker lay exactly where they'd left him. He seemed different, almost as though he'd..._wilted_. That wasn't the best word for it, but it was the closest Sonic could come to describing it.

Bait twisted around and buried his face in Sonic's chest, shoulders shaking with the effort of holding back tears.

Shadow had been right, Sonic realised, staring wordlessly at Raker's body. It was already too late.


	17. The Chaos Caves

**Ri2: Yep, Raker's dead ;)**

**Espionata: Erm...I think it's just you :P And yeah, Bait's the one I really feel for...:(**

**Matt Lans: I think I'll miss Raker in a way...he was a slimeball but he was fun to write. Killing him off really wasn't something I'd originally planned on doing, but it fit into the story pretty much perfectly :P**

**Maverick87: Heh, thanks :D I think Raker probably would have put up quite a fight...if Shadow had given him the chance ;)**

**Matri90: Yeah, I know the feeling :P**

**Milette Tails Prower: Would you believe me if I said it was unexpected for me too? And thanks, glad you liked it :D**

**Forgotten Muse: Me neither ;) And…yeah, I think _don't annoy Shadow_ is a pretty good way of putting it**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: I know what you mean…part of me's gonna miss writing that guy :( Ah well. Chaos Spear rocks! (starts humming _All Hail Shadow_ loud enough to get weird looks from co-workers)**

**Asher Tye: Heh, yeah; out of his league doesn't begin to cover it. Guess nobody ever taught him how to pick his fights ;)**

**Pyrokinetics: (_Shadow: Chaos BLAST!_) Uh…looks like Shadow's in a pretty bad mood…moving right along…**

**TC Chan: Thanks :D As for Robotnik's private journal…I did consider it at one point…maybe I will bring it in on the occasional chapter ;)**

**D.C.111: Yeah, Bait's certainly come a long way since meeting Sonic ;) As for whether or not Raker's actually dead…it doesn't look good for him…**

**Private somebody: Heh, I know what you wrote because I get email notification of all reviews, which include a copy of said review and the person who gave it ;) As far as Bait's insecurity goes…I think he's getting over it, but it's likely to take time :P**

**Professor Ken: Oh, I wonder ;)**

_Guardian's Log no. 11500_

_So all the residents of Scrap Brain are in on this slavery deal? Impossible. We'd have known long before now, or at least, Espio probably would. Where the hell does Charmy get his information from?_

_And damn Tails! Now we not only have to find my sister AND get a replacement Master Emerald, we have to rescue him! Again!_

_Well...he's not that bad. I guess I'd have been pretty pissed off if our positions had been reversed._

_I just hope he doesn't take it into his head to go feral again. I'd dared to hope he was past all that._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_Ol' Scarface tried to trick me by saying I had to go left! Ha! Not likely; you gotta get up real early to trick ME!_

_Now where am I?_

_--Tails_

Tails drew to a halt, gasping for breath and hanging onto a protruding rock for support. He didn't know how long he'd been running for, but it was much longer than he was used to.

The air in front of him rippled and Scarface shimmered into view, smirking slightly.

"_Someone_ wasn't paying attention, was he?"

The fox scowled at him. "You tricked me!"

"Trick? I told you which way the exit was. The fact that you decided to go in completely the opposite direction wasn't my fault."

Tails turned the scowl up a few degrees. "Oh sure! Like I'm really gonna listen to someone who hates me like _you_ do!"

The chameleon laughed. "Hate you? Don't be absurd; you're not worth hating. The only reason I'm helping you is I need you to take that little message to my brother for me."

Tails snorted. "Forget it! I'm not doing your dirty work for you. Why don't you take it yourself?"

"Because there's every chance Espio will kill me the instant he sets eyes on me. I'd prefer to avoid that if it's all the same to you...and I'd think very carefully about refusing me, if I were you, little cub. I'm willing to let you go – hell, even help you – so long as you're useful to me. If you're not..." He spread his hands. "Well, then there's no reason for me to put my career on the line for you any longer, is there?"

"I don't trust you," Tails informed him flatly.

"I don't blame you. But let me ask you something; have I ever lied to you so far?" Scarface nodded towards a small tunnel. "There's a way out through there. You can make your own way back once you're outside."

"Espie wouldn't kill you! You know that!"

Scarface sighed. "Fine. Let's cut the crap. I don't believe either Espio or that echidna have the brains to follow my advice. When they barge in here, if someone remembers that I was talking with them earlier, I'm going to be the prime suspect. And as I said before, you can take my message and go or stay here. Your choice, cub, but think about it carefully. Because if you decide you want to stay here and go back to how things were for you before, it'll be the last choice you ever get to make."

Tails looked away. "Fine. I'll take your dumb message." He had no intention of doing so, but Scarface didn't have to know that.

The chameleon smiled slightly. "Excellent. The way out is that way." He pointed to a tunnel to the right and Tails walked into it, not looking at him.

Blending into the background, Scarface leaned against the wall and waited.

A few minutes later, he won the little bet he'd made with himself; Tails reappeared and marched determinedly down the left hand tunnel.

The chameleon closed his eyes with a grimace.

_Why the hell do I even try?_

--

"I mean, it's not like I'm complaining—"

"Yes you are."

"—I just can't see why I gotta be tied up!"

"I didn't expect you to." Espio came to a halt at an intersection, studied the Chaos Emerald and frowned slightly. "The signal's moving."

"Good. At least the kid's still alive."

Espio had his own ideas on that, but kept quiet. Knuckles was pissed off enough already.

"And you still haven't told me why we have to do it this way," Knuckles persisted, glaring at the rough twine wrapped around his wrists in a figure eight. The binding itself wasn't a problem – he could snap it with no more effort than he'd use to brush off a fly – but it wasn't doing much for his sense of security.

Espio rolled his eyes. "How many times? We're doing it this way because a) you can't pass yourself off as an overseer and b) we have more chance of getting away with it! And keep your mouth shut; slaves don't argue with overseers."

"I am not a slave!"

Inquiring heads turned in their direction; Knuckles' declaration had been loud enough to be heard five hundred yards away, and Espio swore inwardly. Offering up a silent apology to the echidna, he backhanded him, the blow so fast and hard that Knuckles didn't have a chance to think about dodging, then ran him into a niche.

"_Will you keep it down_!" he hissed. "If this is going to work, every time you say something to me besides _yes_, I'm gonna have to pound you to avoid suspicion! You don't wanna know what they do to spies down here."

Knuckles glared at the chameleon. "Well, I guess you'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Then again, last time you were in this kinda place you seemed more than happy to follow in your brother's footsteps."

It took every inch of training and discipline Espio possessed to keep from hitting Knuckles, _really_ hitting him. As it was, he closed his eyes, counted to ten three times and then opened them to fix him with a diamond stare.

"You open to a little friendly advice, Knuckles?"

The echidna returned the stare coolly. "What's that?"

"Shut the hell up before I tell you to stick your damn money," Espio said in a low voice.

Knuckles raised an eye ridge. "Yeah. Right. Like that's ever gonna happen."

"It has before." Espio didn't offer any more details and Knuckles didn't bother asking for them.

"And suppose I let Charmy or Mighty in on your little secret?" He hated the words even as they came out of his mouth, hated resorting to blackmail, but he needed Espio's cooperation and he needed it _now_.

Espio narrowed his eyes. "If we're supposing things, Knuckles, then suppose you tell me exactly what you're planning to tell _them_?"

"You used to be an overseer. You used to be one of those people that other Mobians would spit on if they came close enough."

Espio chuckled low in his throat. "Is that it? And here I thought you were really a threat."

The echidna raised an eye ridge. "There's more?"

Still smirking, Espio led the way deeper into the tunnels. "Well, Knuckles, if there _was_, I wouldn't admit it, would I? Least of all to someone who seems intent on blackmailing me."

There was no answer. Glancing over his shoulder, Espio saw the echidna was no longer following him.

"Knuckles?" The chameleon skidded to a stop, spun around and headed back to where Knuckles was standing in a short, dead end tunnel attempting to get close enough to break the chains of two slaves lying there.

"Dammit Knuckles, we don't have time for you to do that!" Espio seized the echidna by the arm. "Get _moving_!"

"Are you asking me to leave them?" Knuckles demanded. "_Look_ at them, Espio!"

The chameleon didn't let go of his arm. "I am, and I've seen the same thing over and over again. After a while, slaves become incapable of thinking and acting for themselves. I've seen slaves working feet away from the exit without any guards, slaves who wouldn't even think of running for it anymore. If you release them, they'll just either keep going or wander around aimlessly until some overseer spots them and demands to know who let them go." Espio lowered his voice, which had been rising steadily during the explanation. "And what do you think is going to happen to them when they say they don't know?"

Knuckles yanked out of Espio's hold. "That's not true!"

"No, it's true, Knuckles. It's just not very nice to think about. _Leave_ them. You're here for Tails, remember? And the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles stared hard at Espio. "And how are we supposed to find that without the kid? He's the only one who knows where the caves are!"

Espio was silent for a few minutes, then said, "What about that book?"

"The book?" Knuckles had all but forgotten the book Espio had given him. "Hey, yeah!" He started to reach for it, then paused as the ropes arrested his movement. Growling under his breath, the echidna snapped them like a thread, then pulled out the book and flipped it open.

Espio sighed. Knuckles would never be any good at working undercover.

"There's a map here."

"Good. Where do we go?"

"And...hey! This thing's got all the happenings from—" Knuckles broke off as the chameleon reached out and grabbed the book, thumbing through it.

"Where's that map?"

"Do you mind?" Knuckles retrieved the precious volume, burying himself in his ancestors' log. "This is _history_, Espio!"

"And if we don't get a move on we're going to be joining it," Espio hissed. "You can read it later; right now, we need to get what we came down here for and _go_!" He glanced at the Chaos Emerald and frowned. "Strange."

"What's strange?"

"The reading from this thing just changed."

"So where's Tails?"

"I'm not sure, but according to this, there's a lot of him." Espio frowned at the Emerald. "Think someone could have taken his Emerald and shattered it?"

"No," Knuckles stated.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because shattering a Chaos Emerald would cause an atomic explosion capable of wiping out this entire network," Knuckles said simply.

"Good reason," Espio conceded, after a short pause. "So what does this mean?"

"Most likely the Chaos Caves aren't too far away," Knuckles said, after he'd scrutinised the gem.

The chameleon frowned. "I thought it detected Tails."

"No, it detects other Chaos Emeralds. Tails just happens to have one on him. Right now, he's moving towards us – or he was last time we got a signal – so he's probably picked up on that as well. This thing goes to the strongest signal."

Espio raised a sceptical eye ridge as the pair of them started walking again. "Yeah? So why hasn't it picked up on these caves before?"

"How should I know?" Knuckles took the Emerald from the chameleon and studied it carefully, frowning. "Maybe the ancients installed a force field or something to stop the trackers picking up on it unless you were right on top. That's strange."

"What is?"

"Hold this." Knuckles shoved both the Emerald and the book into Espio's surprised arms, then leapt up and dived straight down, burrowing through the rock like water.

It took several minutes before the digging sounds stopped, and a rainbow of light exploded from the newly excavated tunnel.

"Are you okay?" Espio called down, after several minutes had gone by with no sound from the echidna.

Knuckles' voice, when it came drifting up, was low but perfectly audible.

"Espio? Get down here. Right _now_."

The chameleon didn't need asking twice; people around him were starting to stare, and he was willing to bet that there'd be an army of overseers along in a matter of minutes. Leaping into the hole, he fell until he was six feet above the bottom of it, when he caught hold of the sides and twisted over to drop gracefully to the floor.

Then he caught sight of where he was and felt all thoughts of discovery fly out of his head.

"Amazing!" Usually Espio balked at reacting to anything in a purely emotional fashion, but this was too much for even his carefully developed stoicism.

The walls stretched around in a roughly horseshoe shaped cavern. Smaller tunnels led off, presumably to more caves if the light coming through was anything to go by.

What looked like crystals sprouted from every available surface in all shapes and sizes, each giving off a bright light from within. Water trickled down from some unseen source and lay an inch deep on the floor, reflecting the lights in all directions. It was like being inside a rainbow and for a moment all Espio could do was stare, drinking in the scene.

"They stay here," Knuckles informed him tartly. "_All_ of them, Espio."

"Yeah. Sure." The chameleon's answer was distant, purely automatic. "Are these the Chaos Caves?"

"One of them," Knuckles answered. "This place is a damn network at least as large as the one above our heads." He walked over to a lump of deep green crystal at least twice the size of the original Master Emerald and scrutinised it thoughtfully. "That one might work."

"What?" Espio jerked himself out of his reverie and glanced at the echidna. "Oh. Yeah. Your Master Emerald. You going for the same colour then?" Even as he asked it, he wondered why; surely it didn't matter.

"Green is traditional," Knuckles said with a shrug. Reaching down, he started chipping away at the foundations.

"Knuckles?" Espio backed off a step. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

The echidna straightened up and glared at him, brushing slivers of crystal off his glove.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't help thinking about what you said earlier, and how you used the words _atomic explosion_. Those are not good words, Knuckles, especially not in that order."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "It's fine, okay? I know what I'm doing."

Bending down again, he resumed digging. It took a little longer than he'd expected; Chaos matter was harder than diamond, and the echidna was having to dig into the rock itself to extract the crystal he wanted. Eventually, some half an hour later, he stood up with the huge gem balanced on his shoulder.

It was far from perfect. Although it was generally green, other crystals of different colours had sprouted from it, or melded with it, and it was shaped more like a boulder than an Emerald, but it was there and it should do the job.

"Can we go back now?" Espio said edgily.

"I'm not going anywhere without Tails or my sister," Knuckles informed him coolly.

"You can't hunt for them with that!" The chameleon indicated the huge lump of crystal with a stunned expression.

"Why not? I can carry it easily enough."

"Oh sure," Espio muttered to a sympathetic rock outcropping. "Let's go carry a jewel the size of a boulder through a maze filled with greedy mercenaries. As if life isn't short enough."

"If you think I'm going to leave it here—!"

"And if _you_ think—!"

Swept up in the heat of their argument, neither of them noticed Knuckles' Chaos Emerald blinking slightly as a new, more powerful and refined signal approached.

Scarface had been wrong about Tails. The fox hadn't reversed direction because he didn't trust the chameleon (although he didn't) but because he'd picked up the same readings on his Chaos Emerald as Knuckles had on his, then started homing in on a more refined one; a single dot of brilliant light in a sea of pale luminence.

Catching sight of a familiar magenta figure and an even more familiar red one, Tails felt relief surge through him. He didn't think it was odd that he'd found the pair here; after all, Knuckles was probably doing exactly the same thing as Tails; ie, investigating the new reading from the Chaos Emerald.

"Knuckles!"

The echidna barely had time to blink before Tails had hurtled towards him and slammed into his arms, knocking him and the new Master Emerald to the ground.

"_Tails_?"

"Knuckles, are you—" Tails broke off abruptly as he caught sight of the scabbed over gash in Knuckles' torso. "Wow! What happened to your chest?"

"Espio happened to it," Knuckles said, glaring at the chameleon.

"May I remind you that you were trying to strangle me over this kid at the time!" Espio said tersely.

Thinking of that brought Knuckles back to the present and he glared at Tails, angry in his relief.

"What the hell were you thinking, coming back here on your own? You could have been killed!"

"I had to go, Knux. I didn't want you thinking I was jus' some dumb kid." Tails padded around and his eyes lit up. "Hey, neat! You got a new Master Emerald!"

Knuckles opened his mouth, but Espio beat him to it.

"How did you escape?"

"Ol' Scarface let me go 'cause he wanted me to bring a message to you. He said you gotta forget what you came for."

Espio stared at Tails, a dark frown on his face. "If that was really what he wanted, he'd have come himself. He's never been very good at delegating."

Tails shrugged. "Maybe he just didn't wanna get a spiky disk in the face."

The chameleon shook his head, glancing behind as though afraid Scarface was following them. "No, he knows I wouldn't do anything like that in a public place. Besides, I don't want to kill him. I just want to do whatever it takes to make sure I never see or hear from him again."

Tails frowned. "There's a difference?"

"Turn around."

The fox blinked. "Huh?"

"You heard me." Espio grabbed the fox and physically spun him around. "They might have bugged you."

"Anything?" Knuckles said, after Espio had been combing through Tails' fur for several minutes.

The chameleon straightened up again. "Nothing. But I can't be absolutely sure without shaving him."

Tails yipped in alarm and spun to glare at Espio. "You jus' _try_ it, Espie!" He shifted the glare onto Knuckles. "And you better not be planning to go in without me again, Knucklehead!"

"Planning to _what_?" Knuckles said incredulously. "You ran out on _me_, kid, remember?" He paused. "You're right about one thing; I am planning to go on without you."

"Forget it!"

Knuckles snorted. "Tails, I've come all this way for a new Master Emerald, and now I've got one, I don't want to risk losing it. Carrying a jewel the size of a boulder through a tunnel filled with greedy mercenaries..." He shook his head. "Forget it. It's asking for trouble."

"Figure that one out for yourself, did you?" Espio said, somewhat waspishly. Knuckles glared him into silence, then looked back at Tails.

"You're about the only person I trust enough for this. I'm taking it – and you – somewhere safe and I want you to guard it."

Tails fixed Knuckles with a look of pure exasperation. "Guard it? C'mon Knux, don't gimme that. I'm way too old to fall for that one!"

Knuckles folded his arms. "Alright then, how about we go with you bringing this on yourself by your crazy stunt?"

"It wasn't crazy! I got you that book, didn't I? _And_ I freed two slaves!"

The echidna set his jaw, meeting Tails' scowl with a determined look of his own. "And did it never occur to you that I might place more value on _you_ than on some book?"

Tails snorted. "Is that why you didn't want me to come?"

"I didn't want you to come, Tails, because I damn well didn't want you going feral on me again! You think I _enjoy_ getting chewed up by some kid?"

Tails flattened his ears, looking stricken. "But...I didn't go feral again, Knux, did I? 'Cause there'd be blood and stuff on my mouth or something an' there's not, is there?"

"No. But I still don't want to take the chance."

The fox fixed Knuckles with a huge-eyed look. "

"An' I did free those two and brought back that book."

Knuckles glanced at the defiant fox and relented. Tails' courage and determination were both incredible; it must have taken a hell of a lot for him to go back into those tunnels.

"I know, kid. I know."

"And you're gonna need me to show you the way. You don't know where your sister is, do you?"

The echidna stared at him. "And you do?"

"Sure!" Tails pulled out a device he'd hidden in his boot. "See?"

"What's that?"

"An echidna detector! See, I was examining a Chaos Emerald and wondered if there was a way to harness the tracking properties to track other stuff, so I snipped off a bit of your fur and put it inside and I _think_ it's gonna work but I need a power source. Can you chip off some of that Chaos stuff for me?" He indicated the green rock.

"_What_?" The idea was so scandalous that Knuckles took a step back. "You're kidding, right?"

"Well, I need an unlimited power source and I can't chip a Chaos Emerald but that thing you've got there would work nicely. I only need a little bit, Knux."

"Forget it! You're asking me to deface the Master Emerald just to power some glorified tracking device?"

Tails frowned thoughtfully. "But is it a Master Emerald yet, Knux? 'Cause right now it jus' looks like a big lump of radioactive marble."

Knuckles glanced at the big lump of radioactive marble in question, then back at Tails. "Well...I have to shape it—"

"An' when you shape it, there's gonna be lots of little bits lying around, right Knuckles? So you might as well shape it a bit now and give me something to power my tracker. C'mon, please?"

"How do I know this device of yours is actually going to work?" Knuckles hedged.

Tails glared at him. "_All_ my devices work, Knucklehead!"

"Yeah, but they don't always do it safely."

"Do you wanna find the other echidna or not?"

Knuckles sighed. "Are you sure this will work? Or am I going to risk death by ballistic missile again?"

Tails punched him on the arm. "Not funny, Knuckles! An' I know it works! Or..." he broke off. "Or at least if it doesn't then we're no worse off than before, right?"

"And how exactly do you propose we sneak around this place without getting caught?" Espio demanded. "Especially since I doubt you could persuade Knuckles to let go of his big shiny rock with a crowbar."

"Damn straight!" Knuckles said, with a look in his eyes which said he was willing to ignore certain comments _re_ 'big shiny rocks', at least for the moment.

Tails' ears perked. "'Sokay, I got an idea for that." Glancing at Espio, he said, "You're a chameleon, right?"

"I was the last time I looked," Espio answered, after it became clear Tails wasn't going to proceed without an answer. "Why?"

"Can chameleons change to any colour, or just to blend in with the background?"

Knuckles raised an eye ridge, intrigued by this. "What you got in mind?"

"Well, _Espie's_ a chameleon, an' apart from the colour he and ol' Scarface look pretty similar, so—"

"You can stop right there!" Espio said with uncharacteristic sharpness, seeing for the first time where Tails was going.

"—so I figure maybe Espio can change colour to look like his brother and he can take us through the tunnels, 'cause nobody's gonna challenge a jerk like him."

"Espio or Scarface?" Knuckles couldn't resist asking.

Espio folded his arms. "You really can't see anything wrong with this plan, can you? In the first place, our boots and gloves are completely different—"

"So you decided to change," Knuckles cut across. "I doubt any slave would bother quizzing you about it, if they even noticed."

The chameleon sighed. "There's the little matter of his nickname. Scarface. See any scars on me?" He shook his head. "The only one I have is from when I fell off a length of ivy as a kid, and that's hidden between two of my spikes."

"It is?" Tails padded around curiously. "Which two?"

The chameleon whirled. "Never mind that now! The point I'm trying to make is that your idea is insane."

"You two do look alike, though," Knuckles said thoughtfully.

"He's a heavier build than I am," Espio retorted. "Always was."

"So you went on a diet," Tails said, walking around Espio and scrutinising him as he would a waxwork.

The chameleon raised an eye ridge. "Wonderful. I went on a diet, lost two stone in as many minutes and had advanced plastic surgery in my coffee break."

"Well, it's kinda dark in the tunnels," Tails pointed out. "If we all keep moving, I don't think anyone's gonna notice the difference."

"I disagree," Scarface remarked conversationally as he shaded into view on the wall, "especially since you now appear caught between – if you'll pardon the pun – a rock and a hard place." He paused, purely for effect. "Thankyou for showing me the way to the Chaos Caves. Now, if you'll just step away from that sample on the floor—" this was addressed to Knuckles— "we can get this over with as painlessly as possible."

**Okay, sorry about the long wait but I got kinda caught up and sidetracked on other projects :P The next chapter should be up a lot sooner. Hope you enjoyed this one and if you read, please review!**


	18. The Return

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Thanks :) And yep, this next chapter's gonna be a Sonic one. (Actually, the last one was almost a Sonic one as well; I suffered major writer's block on it ;))**

**Pyrokinetics: Thanks, glad you liked it :P**

**Asher Tye: Ooh, now that _is_ a tempting thought :D I'd say it could be a distinct possibility...**

**KR Mitchell: Thanks :D _Big Brother_...hmm, with what just happened to Raker, I'd have said _Survivor_ would be nearer the mark :P (Okay, okay, I'll smack myself upside the head for that one) Ending...it's getting nearer. I would guess about four or six more chapters, but I'm not entirely sure. Still, there's always the sequel ;)**

**Private somebody: Thanks...as far as brains go...yeah, I think that's a pretty accurate description :P**

**Maverick87: Thanks :)**

**Matt Lans: Another tempting thought...maybe...no. No, resist temptation ;)**

**TC Chan: Heh, thanks :P Espio and Knux the equivalent of Sonic and Robotnik...yep, that's pretty much it...**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_That...Shadow, how could you? You just upped and murdered that jackal, when he wasn't doing anything (for once)._

_Oh man, who the hell am I kidding? The truth is I'm glad Raker's dead, and I honestly never thought I'd say or write that about anybody. Shadow did what I could never have brought myself to do. Part of me is sorry for Raker's death as well, but that's the part that knows how Bait's gonna take this. Poor little guy always seems to get stuck with the fluffy end of the lollipop and, like it or not, Raker was the only family he had._

_To be honest, the first thing that went through my mind when I saw Raker's body was, "Oh crap, now I'm never gonna find out Bait's real name." Weird._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_rakers ded shaddoe killd him_

_--Bait the Jakkel_

Robotnik slid a few switches further up the board, adjusting the orbit of his fortress by a couple of degrees. Shadow had shown up in the doorway and ordered him to lift off immediately, telling him that they could wait things out in orbit just as easily as on the planet's surface. Something about the hedgehog's bearing – plus the carbine he'd been holding – had convinced the doctor that Shadow wouldn't take no for an answer.

Well, the hedgehog had been right; there was no difference between being stuck up here and stuck down there.

Robotnik glanced out the viewport, then back at his monitor with a sigh. He'd hardly slept a wink last night; Shadow's manner had informed him that procrastination would be almost as fatal as refusal.

Things were a lot simpler back on Mobius. He tried to take over the world, and Sonic tried to stop him. Perhaps it was something of a no-brainer, but it was an arrangement that worked very nicely.

In the meantime, he had to find a way to transport the Egg Carrier Three back to another world.

With another sigh, he pulled a printout towards him and started to study it.

* * *

It hadn't been a particularly restful night for Sonic either; he'd had to keep soothing Bait every time the jackal woke up, which was at least once every half hour. Despite that, he was in a surprisingly, almost irreverently perky mood, something which he was finding hard to conceal from Bait. There was no more living on edge, never knowing when Raker was going to show up or what he was going to do next.

_And if the guy made _me_ feel like that..._Sonic shook his head. It must have been triply hard on Bait.

He'd left the jackal in their room (along with a note explaining where he was) and had gone up to the robotics factory. It was a relief to him to be away from Bait, if only for a few minutes. The jackal had taken Raker's death hard, and Sonic had done his best to conceal his real feelings about that incident, rightly suspecting that Bait wouldn't be too happy knowing his brother's death had sent Sonic onto a high.

The hedgehog almost bounced into the robotics factory and glanced around. He had no idea what the various machines there did, but it offered the best view of the outside in the entire Egg Carrier Three, at least in his half; the entire outside wall had been turned into a viewport. Grinning, Sonic wondered if Robotnik had it there for inspiration.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who liked it there; Shadow was at the viewport, staring into space.

"Want some company?" Sonic asked.

"No."

"Cool." Pretending not to have heard, Sonic leaned against the glass. "So...seen any good movies lately?"

Shadow didn't answer.

"Read any good books?"

Nothing.

"Hear any good songs?"

"What part of _no_ don't you get?" Shadow snarled, turning to skewer Sonic with a glare.

"I dunno, but it's always given me trouble," Sonic answered cheerfully.

Shadow grunted and looked away, causing Sonic to grin broadly.

"What's the matter, Shads? Something I said? Or are you just suffering from fibre deficiency?"

"What do you _want_?" Shadow grated.

"Thought you'd never ask. Two dozen chilli dogs, heavy on the spice, and don't forget to pick yourself up a little something while you're there," Sonic answered without missing a beat, then became more serious. "And I guess I wanted to talk."

"You don't say." Shadow folded his arms. "If you want someone to listen to you, I'm sure your jackal friend will be only too happy to oblige."

Completely serious now, Sonic shook his head. "No. Poor little kid's only just cried himself to sleep; I don't want to wake him again. Actually, I was wondering if you could help me."

"You wonder some very unusual things, hedgehog."

"What am I supposed to do with Raker?"

Shadow shrugged. "That's not my problem. Don't you have airlocks in this thing?"

Sonic reacted, clearly shocked. "You want me to jettison Bait's brother's body like so much trash?"

The black hedgehog clenched a fist and turned to stare at him, eyes burning. "If I solve this problem for you, _then_ will you piss off and leave me alone?"

It wasn't quite the answer Sonic had had in mind, but he nodded agreeably. "Sure."

"Right. You have four choices. One, leave him there to rot and decay. Two, dump him in some room to rot and decay. Three, eject him into space to rot and decay, at least until the pressure equalises things a few seconds later. Four, ask the doctor if you can dump him in one of the energy vats."

If Sonic had looked shocked before, he now looked completely and utterly appalled. "Jeez, Shadow! You want me to just melt him down like so much scrap metal?"

"No, I _want_ you to take a hike," Shadow growled. "What you do with that jackal on the way is down to you. As for melting him in a vat, consider it a form of recycling. Dead bodies make surprisingly efficient fuel sources."

Sonic eyed him warily. "I'm not going to ask how you know that."

"Perhaps not, but in this case I'll tell you anyway because even I draw the line at having you think something like that of me. The human who ran that facility used to do that kind of thing a lot. Of course, not all the bodies _he_ sent down were dead. He really was quite unpopular," Shadow added, as though commenting on the weather.

Sonic shivered. "Oh man! That is seriously messed up. He used to send people down there? _Living_ people?"

"Since we've already established they weren't all dead, yes," Shadow answered with delicate sarcasm. "Now get out."

Sonic glanced over his shoulder at the exit, then sighed. "Well, I gotta do something with Raker, and so far I guess the airlock is the best option. I haven't dealt with many dead bodies."

Shadow stared out the viewport at the stars. "You soon get used to it. I lost count of the number I found on the human world."

Sonic stared at him. "You've been to the humans' world? To—" his memory failed him and he took a rough guess— "To Urp?"

"Earth. Yes. You haven't missed much. It's a war-torn, polluted, snarling hell, controlled by people like Cage."

Sonic frowned. "Who?"

"The human I was just talking about. He didn't hold a particularly high rank on Earth, but that doesn't matter; I've dealt with enough humans that did."

Sonic stared at him, for once at a loss for words. There was something in Shadow's voice that inexplicably touched him, something that spoke of a loss so great and profound that he couldn't begin to imagine it.

"How'd you get to Mobius?"

Shadow shrugged. "The humans were experimenting with creating wormholes. Experimenting being the word; their creations were only good for a one way trip. They opened one and I managed to jump into it before they could stop me." He glanced away from the stars to Sonic. "I suppose the presence of what you call the Void is partly my fault; the humans created several such things to try and retrieve me. When they discovered that the journey through was unsurvivable – at least for them – they assumed I'd died, but they had no way to recall the wormholes they'd already sent out."

Sonic frowned, leaning sidelong against the wall as he studied the black hedgehog. "Retrieve?"

"What?"

"You said they wanted to try and retrieve you. Kinda an odd choice of words, Shads." When the other refused to rise to the bait, Sonic pressed slightly harder. "I mean, retrieving is something you do with pets, or objects, or prisoners." He grinned. "So which were you?"

Anger flashed in Shadow's eyes. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your jackal? I imagine he's getting very worried about you."

Sonic's grin broadened. "If that's the case, you got one vivid imagination, Shads." He shook his head, serious again. "And if you're planning on doing to Bait what you did to his brother—"

"Don't be absurd," Shadow interrupted. "That kid seems to have more guts than most people I've known."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Believe it or not, hedgehog, no matter how insane or misplaced it appears to be, I respect courage. Real courage, not bravado or empty defiance. The jackal was determined to take me on just to protect you. He'd have lost, of course, but he deserves respect for trying. There are very few who are willing to stand in my way so openly. When I was among the humans, the penalties for defiance or disobedience were...harsh."

Sonic raised an eye ridge. "In other words, do as you're told and you won't get hurt? That's a pretty crappy management style."

"It works for the humans, hedgehog." Shadow didn't raise his voice, but the venom in it was in no way diminished by the fact. "I see no reason to change a winning strategy."

Sonic shrugged, undaunted. The hatred in Shadow's tones wasn't aimed at him.

"You say so. But c'mon, no species is that bad. You must've met some decent humans down there."

"Sure I did," Shadow snarled, "along with the fairies in my back garden. Now drop it before I lose my patience."

"Okay. Hey Shads?"

Shadow clenched a fist. "My name is _Shadow_, hedgehog."

"Uh huh. So tell me, Shads, what was it like being king of the world?"

The black hedgehog turned a cold look on him.

"That world? Like surfing on the very tip of a wave just before it crashes down around you."

"C'mon, you were right at the centre of things!"

"Things fall apart, hedgehog. The centre does not hold."

There was a long, long silence.

"Oookay." Sonic backed off, hands held out in front of him. "_Nice_ insane hedgehog. _Good_ insane hedgehog. You just...stay there looking at the pretty stars while I go polish my head."

Shadow, whose temper had been getting visibly shorter during Sonic's words, froze. "You're going to what?"

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno. It was the first thing that came into my mind. Where's Robuttnik got to?"

"If you're referring to the doctor—"

"You know another Robuttnik?"

"—then I'm not his secretary. Go check out his half. Or go take a leak on a power source. Either way, you'll no longer be my problem."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll do that. It's gotta be better than listening to you gripe."

"May I remind you, hedgehog, that _you_ came to _me_?" Shadow turned his back on Sonic, although he kept his muscles ready. If it came down to it, he was confident he could beat the blue hedgehog in a fight, but that was no reason to get caught off guard.

Sonic opened his mouth, then shut it again. He'd pushed his luck enough for one conversation.

_Yeah. Let Shads cool down, then wind him up again._

Grinning at the prospect, Sonic spun and raced away, the wind from his abrupt departure blowing several small bolts and other components off nearby surfaces. At least he wouldn't have to keep watching his reactions around Robotnik; the doctor was probably happier than Sonic about Raker's death. After all, he'd been the one sharing his half with the jackal.

It took several wrong turns before Sonic finally tracked Robotnik down in a small room, one which was almost a quarter of the size of most of the doctor's labs. It also wasn't anywhere near as tidy; circuit boards and tools littered every available space, and Sonic was surprised to see what looked like half an android lying upside down in a corner. He didn't know what it had been designed for originally, but its main purpose now seemed to be as a trash receptacle.

"Hey doc?"

Robotnik didn't look up from his work as he said, "I believe you're in my half of the Egg Carrier, Sonic."

The residual fear of Robotnik was still strong enough to ensure Sonic skirted around out of arm's reach, but he was in too good a mood to be intimidated that easily.

"Whatcha building?"

"Nothing. I'm updating my cinema database to include the more recent releases from my home planet."

"Cool! Make sure you get _Capricorn One _on it, okay?"

Robotnik sighed. He'd long since learned that capitulation was by far the quickest way of getting rid of the hedgehog, and he couldn't deal with Sonic as he would have liked to until they were safely back on Mobius.

"Fine, although that's hardly what I'd call recent."

"Do you miss Earth?" Sonic said suddenly. That was something he'd never thought about with either Kintobor or Robotnik; the idea that the doctor might get homesick from time to time.

Robotnik considered the question honestly before saying, "Aspects of it. TV shows. Music. And figs."

Sonic blinked. "What on Mobius is a fig?"

"A kind of beetroot coloured fruit. I was quite fond of them back home."

"Beetroot?"

"Purple to you, I imagine. Now did you come here just to discuss human delicacies, or was there an actual purpose for your intrusion?"

"Yeah, I gotta ask you something." Sonic picked up a component, examined it idly, then flicked it into the robot piranha tank. "Shadow said something pretty weird. I figured since you're a human and humans are constantly raising the bar on weirdness, you might be able to shed light on it."

Robotnik sighed again and retrieved the component from one of the fish, placing it carefully in the drawer. "That's just the kind of illogical logic I've come to expect from you, Sonic."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm a hedgehog and a Mobian and we really have the whole clear thinking down pat, unlike humans who can never see anything past the paperwork." Sonic opened the drawer, withdrew the component again, examined it, sniffed it and tossed it over his shoulder before wandering over to a cuboid shape covered in circuits and lights. "Hey, neat! What's in the box, doc?"

"With any luck, pain," Robotnik muttered, not quite under his breath. Taking it back from Sonic, he placed it on a high shelf; when the hedgehog was in one of his 'random' moods, nothing was safe. "What do you _want_?"

"Well, like I said, Shadow said something wacked out and I want to find out what it means. See, _I_ said something about how he'd been right at the centre of things, and _Shads_ came back with this weird crap about things falling apart and centres not holding anything."

Robotnik smiled slightly. "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?"

Sonic groaned. "Oh great. He's contagious. Okay, who's got the respirators?"

"I shouldn't bother trying to grapple with anything more complicated than the twelve times table, Sonic; you'll only hurt yourself. Waxing philosophical isn't your strongest suit."

Sonic laughed. "Doc, if I wanted to wax philosophical human-fashion, I'd talk about your children's games!"

"Be that as it may, Sonic, if..." Robotnik broke off, warring with his own curiosity before finally giving in. He had to ask. Even if he regretted it for the rest of his life, he had to ask. "How in the name of all things scientific can you link the games of human children to the deep and profound philosophy of my racial heritage and culture?"

The hedgehog grinned broadly. "Well, I saw that TV drama and the game they played at that wedding, and I couldn't help wondering..."

"Ye-es...?"

"What if the Hokey Cokey is _really_ what it's all about?"

* * *

"Shadow!"

The black hedgehog half turned, saw who was standing there and sighed.

"Oh, look who it is. If you've come for revenge, forget it; you're not worth draining the Chaos Emerald for."

Bait shook his head. "Nuh uh. I jus' wanted to ask you somethin'."

"What's that?"

"Why'd you kill Raker? Why dint you kill me an' Sonic when we showed up?"

"Because _Raker_ got in my way."

Bait flattened his ears. "But you dint have to kill him for it. You dint warn him or _nothin_'!"

Shadow fixed him with a coldly level stare. "No. When it comes to killing, I don't warn people and I don't hesitate." He glanced away. "Not anymore," Bait heard him add quietly, more to himself than the jackal.

"He were all I had."

Shadow returned his stare to the stars. "Really? So what's that blue hedgehog to you? Just a means of killing time?"

Bait opened his mouth, then shut it again.

"He were the on'y _fam'ly_ I had. You dint have to _kill_ him."

"You're right. I didn't have to; I chose to. It was kinder than the alternative."

Bait approached Shadow warily. "Yeah? What was that?"

"I'm not sure, except that it would have been excruciatingly painful, somewhat messy and very, very noisy. That kind of screaming gives me a headache, so I try to avoid causing it wherever possible."

The jackal sidestepped around the hedgehog to join him at the viewport, albeit some twelve feet to his left.

"So why's death such a hot choice?"

Shadow tightened his jaw. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. But there can come a time when the idea of dying has a certain...pull."

Bait looked away, tail ducked between his legs. "You dint have to kill him."

Shadow sighed. "Why are you talking to me, jackal?"

"'Cause you killed Raker—"

"—and now you have some juvenile thoughts of revenge," Shadow finished. "Do you seriously believe that _you _could beat me?"

"Ain't you never seen movies, mister? If you want revenge, _nothin_' can stop you!"

Shadow raised an eye ridge, still not looking at Bait. "How quaint. Listen to me; I don't fight cubs unless there is no other option."

Bait folded his arms. "What are you, chicken?"

Shadow looked at him then, _really_ looked at him. "Why are you doing this? You're not stupid. You must know I could kill you in less than a second if I chose to, so why are you so intent on provoking me?"

Bait clenched his fists and took a step towards Shadow. "That's none a your business!"

"I disagree. If you want to try and kill me so badly, then I have a right to know why."

The jackal shifted his weight. Growing up with Raker had left him extremely proficient at picking up on people's moods and feelings. Something was telling him that Shadow genuinely didn't want to fight, and it was making him uneasy.

In fact, Shadow was feeling a little ashamed of himself. He hadn't planned on killing that jackal, but Raker's words and actions had sparked off ugly memories within the hedgehog, and for one of the few times in his life Shadow had acted rashly, impulsively. Admittedly he'd die before admitting to such a thing, but still...

"It dunt matter why I wanna kill you," Bait said, drawing the hedgehog's mind back to the present. "You lost your cool when Raker said stuff like that to you, so you gotta lose it with me too, right?"

A slight smile appeared on Shadow's face. "Wrong. I never lose my cool, as you put it. The jackal got in my way and I got him out of it again in the fastest, most efficient way possible."

"You killed him!"

"Yes. It's hard to remove someone more efficiently than that." Shadow sighed and looked back at the stars. "Go back to the blue hedgehog, kid. I'm not going to fight you, and nothing you say or do will change my mind. Since I do, however, understand what you're going through right now – oh yes I do," he added, when Bait snorted derisively. "I understand better than you know, and so I'll forget we ever had this conversation."

"So you're jus' gonna stand there while I kill you?" Bait shrugged. "Fine with me."

Shadow did more than look at him this time; he turned and leaned against the viewport, arms folded across his chest.

"What do you think Sonic would say if he knew you were making death threats against me?"

"Are you gonna tell him?"

"No," Shadow answered, with perfect truth, "but I'm trying to tell _you_ something that will enable you to come to your senses before it's too late. Your loving brother is dead. Whether he would have wanted you to take revenge for him – which I think is what's really behind all this – I don't know and I'm not going to guess. Sonic, on the other hand, is very much alive, and since he's the only ally you seem to have, I'd think pretty damn carefully before pissing him off, kid. If you drive him away, who are you going to have left?"

"Sonic'll understand!" Bait said defiantly, although there was a slight doubt in his mind; he had a feeling that the hedgehog's understanding probably wouldn't stretch to Bait's picking fights, especially with Shadow. "Now let's go!"

Shadow turned back and rested his forehead on the cool glass. "I told you, I don't fight cubs. Go back to the blue hedgehog."

"No fear." Bait stepped forward and reached out. He was intending to grab Shadow's shoulder and spin the black hedgehog around to face him, but memories of what the hedgehog had done to Raker stopped him and so he settled for verbal attacks instead. "I'm gonna take you down hard, an' when I'm done I'm gonna tear your head off an'—"

"Bait?"

The jackal actually yipped in surprise and spun around, ears flat and eyes huge.

Sonic stood outlined in the doorway, staring at him in disbelief. As Bait watched, the hedgehog beckoned to him.

"Bait, come with me please."

Tail ducked firmly between his legs, Bait shuffled over to Sonic, looking every inch the guilty party. He wasn't afraid of getting hurt – or at least, only faintly – but something about Sonic's way of handling things was almost worse. He'd come to the conclusion in his own mind that the reason Sonic didn't deal out physical punishment for disobedience was because he didn't need to; a few quiet words could leave Bait feeling wretched for as many days.

Sonic didn't speak until they were opposite a dispenser, and then all he said was, "You want something to eat?"

Bait hesitated. He genuinely believed Sonic wasn't going to do anything more than ream him out, but getting offered food when he knew he was in pretty deep crap...

"It's not a trick question," Sonic added. "I'm going to get some lunch. You want some too?"

Bait swallowed, then nodded.

"Okay. Cheeseburger and soda do you?"

Another nod, and Sonic dialled up the food, handing it over as it formed on the plate. Habit made Bait sniff the burger before taking a huge bite out of it.

"You like it?" Sonic asked.

Bait's ears flattened further – Raker used to ask that question before taking the food away from him – then he nodded once.

"Good." Sonic bit into his own chilli dog, then jerked his head down the corridor. "C'mon. Let's hit the lounge."

"Which one?" Bait dared to ask; there were at least seven in their half of the Egg Carrier Three, and those were just the ones he knew about.

"The sea one. I think that's closest."

The jackal hesitated. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay with that one?"

Sonic quirked an eye ridge at him. "Hey, even I don't run screaming from the room every time I see a fish tank. Let's go."

* * *

Left alone, Shadow sighed. With the blue hedgehog bugging him and that jackal out for revenge, he was already beginning to wonder whether hitching a ride on this thing was worth the trouble.

Well, he'd done it now, and if there was one thing he'd learned, it was never to dwell on past mistakes for one second longer than he needed to learn from them.

"Does not compute."

"What doesn't?" Shadow answered, not looking around. "And keep your damn voice down, Omega; I don't want anyone knowing you're on board."

"Data banks show ninety nine point nine percent of individuals who acted like that jackal are dead. Why didn't you kill him?"

Shadow shrugged. "I didn't want to. I just killed his brother; of course he was going to be angry with me. If I killed everyone whose emotions got the better of them, I'd never stop."

"Emotions. Does not compute. Illogical."

Shadow snorted. "Yeah, I'd say that sums 'em up pretty nicely. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Insufficient activity detected in the present location to occupy and update databanks."

Which, Shadow knew, loosely translated as _I'm bored out my skull_.

"It won't be for much longer. Just until we're back on Mobius."

"Insufficient data to determine exact length of time. Additional clarification needed."

The hedgehog sighed again, addressing Omega's reflection. "How many times? I can't tell you exactly when we're going to get back, because I don't know. I've given the doctor all the information he needs. Now we just have to wait for him to use it."

A grumpy silence descended on the pair, then Omega said, "Acknowledged. Shutting down all external input devices in preparation for silent running."

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "In other words, you're going to sulk."

"Affirmative."

"Shame." Shadow had long since learned the best way of dealing with Omega. "I noticed some more of the doctor's robots around here. E-2000 line, mostly. I was wondering if you felt like a little housecleaning."

There was a series of beeps and whirrs, and then a voice that was at least an octave higher than Omega's normal one said, "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Shadow swatted him hard on the arm. "Cut that out!" He hadn't even known robots had personal tastes in TV shows, much less human ones. "Just go wipe out some robots, alright? And if anyone non-organic sees you, get rid of them too."

* * *

The sea lounge was one of the more lavishly decorated rooms on the Egg Carrier, at least in Sonic and Bait's half. Couches were arranged by glass coffee tables that had been designed in a sea theme; Sonic could see shells, seahorses, starfish, and that was without turning his head. An entire wall on the far side was given over to a huge aquarium which housed what looked like every kind of tropical fish imaginable. Robotic, of course, but fantastically detailed down to the last scale.

The hedgehog shook his head. Robotnik could harp on about royalties all he liked, but if he _really_ wanted money, all he'd have to do would be to market his own range of robotic pets.

_Yeah. No food, no maintenance, never dies...man, that'd be a gift for some people_!

For the first time, Sonic wondered what Robotnik did when he wasn't building robots. Surely even evil geniuses liked to kick back and relax now and again? Did he come here, have his food served by another robot and sit in the lounge watching the robot fish swim back and forth?

Actually, now that he thought about it, what _was_ the doctor's day-to-day schedule?

Next to Sonic, Bait shifted his weight and took another bite of his burger. He wasn't sure if he was in disgrace or not, and so he kept quiet.

"You know," Sonic said idly, "you were lucky Shadow chose not to blast you where you stood."

Bait froze, the burger halfway down his throat, then swallowed. "Are you mad at me?"

Sonic shook his head. "No, though I think you're nuts to challenge the likes of Shadow. As far as I'm concerned, what you said and did was just because you were upset over what happened to Raker. I'd almost be more worried if you weren't out for Shadow's blood."

Bait frowned. "Anyone ever tell you you're pretty weird?"

Sonic laughed. "Yeah, all the time! Why?"

The jackal took a large bite out of his burger to avoid meeting Sonic's eyes. "'S jus'...I steal stuff an' you get mad, I sneak around an' you get mad, I threaten to kill summun an' you don't mind." He swallowed. "Sonic?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Are you happy Raker's gone?"

Sonic was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Are you?"

"I dunno. Sometimes I wished he wunt around." Bait flattened his ears. "Sick, right?"

"I don't think so," Sonic said easily. "I used to wish the same thing about Mighty whenever I was squatting with his family and he left his magazines and comic books on my half of the room. I think it's normal in families."

"That 'dillo? Why'd you live with him?"

Sonic shrugged. "My parents came on vacation to Green Island when I was six weeks old. They left me in the hotel creche one day and went across to Westside Island. I don't know what happened to them, but I do know they never came back."

Bait finished the burger and curled up into the sofa, snuggling into the cushions. "You ever stop to think mebbe they dint want you?"

Sonic laughed. "Nah, I was too egotistical for that. Not want _me_? Impossible!"

The jackal fixed him with a look. "Does that mean your folks could be out there an' alive?"

Sonic, who had entertained himself with just that thought when he'd been younger, shook his head.

"No. They hopped over to Westside Island, I know that much. Apparently they left Metropolis Zone after lunch and nobody ever saw them again. I think they strayed into Genocide City Zone by mistake."

Bait shivered. "You ever bin there?"

Sonic looked away. "Once. I was with Tails and we wound up there by mistake. It's just lucky he was quick thinking enough to get me out before it was too late."

The jackal flattened his ears, picking at the arm of the couch. "He saved your life, huh?"

Sonic laughed again. "Yeah! More times than I can count. I'd have died aged eleven in Chemical Plant Zone if Tails hadn't been there to help me out."

Abruptly Bait pushed himself out of the sofa and got to his feet. "Sonic, I wanna go lie down in our room, okay?"

The hedgehog blinked, thrown by this rapid change. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but...but I'm real tired an' I wanna be alone an' think about things. You dunt mind, right?"

"Well, yeah—I mean, no, I don't mind. Kiddo, are you sure you're okay?"

Bait nodded vigorously. "Yeah, 's jus'...I'll see you later."

Without another word, he turned and raced off, leaving a puzzled Sonic behind.

_What was all that about?_

The hedgehog considered it for a few minutes, then shrugged. He wasn't about to chase after Bait; the last thing the kid needed was to feel Sonic didn't trust him.

Thinking about that reminded Sonic of how Bait had tried to provoke Shadow into a fight and the hedgehog stood up decisively.If he couldn't be at Bait's heels twenty four seven, at least he could stick around Shadow. Hopefully that way if Bait was harbouring thoughts of revenge, Sonic could at least stop him.

Finding Shadow was almost ridiculously easy; he was in the robotics factory, in exactly the same spot as he'd been last time. Shaking his head, Sonic moved to join him at the viewport.

"Do you ever move?"

Shadow didn't answer for a few minutes, then eventually he said, "How's your jackal friend?"

The question was so unexpected, so unlike Shadow that for a minute Sonic could only gawk at him.

"Did you just ask me about Bait?"

"Pretend I care," Shadow drawled.

Sonic shrugged. "He'll be okay, I guess. I just wish I knew what was going on inside his head."

"Isn't it obvious?" Shadow said coolly. "Now his brother's dead, he has to face up to the way he really felt about him and he doesn't want to admit he hated his guts." He shrugged. "Kid thinks that taking revenge for what happened would prove he really did care about him. It's a good thing I have a better hold on my temper than he seems to."

"He's hurting, Shadow," Sonic said, a slight reproving touch in his voice.

"And your point would be?" Shadow shook his head, taking a sip of coffee. "His hurting, as you put it, will only buy him licence to irritate me without repercussions for so long. You might want to make him aware of that."

As if on cue, the door slid open and Bait walked in with the determined tread of someone who's on an unpleasant mission, and who won't rest until it's completed.

"Mister?" Shadow didn't turn round, but that didn't faze the jackal; he was used to addressing people's backs. "Mister, 'bout what happened earlier...I jus' weren't thinkin' straight. I'm sorry." Bait wondered briefly whether he ought to add something along the lines of _Thanks for not killing me_, then decided it might be construed as overkill or even making fun of the hedgehog, and so he wisely kept his mouth shut.

For the first time in his life, Shadow had no idea what to do or say. He flicked his eyes briefly to Sonic, who held up both hands in a way which said that he wasn't behind the jackal's actions.

Eventually, since it became apparent Bait was waiting anxiously for his answer, Shadow coughed and did the best he could.

"Well...whatever. Just don't do it again."

Bait glanced over to Sonic, who grinned broadly and gave him the thumbs up.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo."

"If the two of you are about to indulge in a snuggle fest, go do it outside," Shadow ordered. "This morning was the first chance I've had to get some real food into my stomach, and I'd like to keep it there if it's all the same to you."

"You're not very good at receiving apologies, are you?" Sonic said, still grinning.

"The only apologies I've ever had before now have been from humans who thought it could save their worthless hides. Usually by the time we got to that point, it was far too late."

"Speaking of humans, I take it Robuttnik's still in his lab doing science-y stuff?"

Shadow curled his lip. "I told you before; I'm no damn secretary."

Sonic's grin became, if it was possible, even broader. "Nah, but you're pretty easy to bug, Shads. What's the doc doing?"

"Science-y stuff." The sarcasm in Shadow's voice was thick enough to scoop out with a ladle.

Sonic rolled his eyes, leaping onto a metal pipe running over their heads and swinging upside-down, hanging by his knees. "Okay, fine! Be like that!" He flipped over, landing neatly on his feet not six inches away from the black hedgehog. "I was just asking."

"Then don't."

Sonic laughed. "I think you're forgetting something, Shads. You're not king of the world anymore."

"I almost wish I was. Even the humans were better company than you."

The hedgehog stretched up onto his toes, bounced there three or four times, then dropped down again. "Y'know, I get the feeling that there was some kind of deadly killing insult hidden in that statement," he remarked chattily.

"You should be thankful you don't understand it," Shadow informed him darkly.

Sonic grinned again. "Ah, c'mon Shads, tell me. I'm curious."

"Not in a million years."

"Not even if I promise to make you a chili dog?"

"_No_. How you can even eat those things..."

Sonic pretended to consider. "Usually I just bite, chew and swallow. I dunno what happens to 'em after that, Shads; my stomach tends to take over from there."

Shadow clenched a fist. Sonic was about half an inch away from Chaos Blast, and it was only the thought that this would shatter the viewport and leave the interior of the ship exposed when they reentered the Void which stopped him.

Damn, but the blue hedgehog had a point; what _was_ the doctor doing? Surely he could have got them out by now?

Spinning on his heel, Shadow stalked out of the room, heading for Robotnik's lab. He could quite conceivably have warped there, but he'd discovered early on that there was nothing that eased stress as much as simple exercise.

It worked as well; by the time he strode into the lab, he was merely furious.

"Haven't you worked out how to get us out of here yet?" he demanded by way of greeting.

Under the table, Robotnik clenched a fist. "First Sonic and now you! What does it take to keep people out of my half of the ship?"

"Your petty territorial boundaries are no concern of mine, doctor." Shadow folded his arms. "I wasn't even here when you came up with the idea."

Robotnik folded his. "Then allow me to enlighten you. This fortress is _mine_, Shadow, and I only gave Sonic and his friend houseroom because I thought he could protect me from whatever we encountered at the other end of the Void. If you want to stay, I suggest you pick a half to stay in."

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Fine. I'll take the half of the ship that's inside. You can have the outside half. Don't let the airlock implode you on the way out." He walked over to a small table that was piled high with Robotnik's notes and scanned them, finally lifting his gaze to meet the human's. "Intriguing. What exactly are you planning to do with these devices?"

Robotnik met his gaze coldly. Unlike Sonic, Shadow gave the unnerving impression that he actually understood the scientific equipment and experiments scattered around the place.

"That's not your business, Shadow."

"No, except to warn you that if you intend something similar with _me_, you're in for a nasty shock."

Leaning back in his chair to lift both feet up onto a spare part of the desk, Robotnik said pointedly, "I already received one of those when you pulled that gun on me. I don't suppose you'd let me have it for safekeeping?"

"Your powers of supposition are astonishingly accurate." Had he been hanging around Omega too long? Shadow wondered. Probably. He shrugged. The robot was the closest thing he had to a friend or ally, it was only natural that he'd start picking up a few mannerisms. After all, Omega had taken plenty on board from that damn human show.

"Well, that presents us with something of a problem," Robotnik said smoothly, "since I don't like firearms on my ship that aren't attached to my robots."

Shadow snapped out the carbine again, stroking the barrel almost lovingly. "If you want my weapon so badly, doctor, all you need do is come and take it for yourself."

Robotnik chuckled, a chuckle which covered up the uneasiness he felt in Shadow's presence. "There would be no point in that, would there? You'd only shoot me where I stood."

"Wrong again, if you think I'd wait for you to stand up before I fired." Shadow leaned forward, knuckles resting on the desk. "Make no mistake, doctor; I'm not some naive, friendly Mobian. That blue hedgehog might not be able to find it in himself to kill you, but me?" He snorted. "I've killed plenty of humans in my life. What's one more?"

Intrigue showed clearly on Robotnik's face. "You look like a Mobian. What are you? Some kind of evil Sonic from another dimension?"

"Really, doctor. I expected better of you than wild suppositions of that kind." Shadow pushed himself away from the desk and stood tall, arms folded across his chest. They were more or less on an eye level now. "Now get us out of here."

Robotnik surged to his feet with surprising agility for such a large man. "It's not that simple! If I get it wrong, we could all die! Although admittedly in Sonic's case, that would be a blessing," he added, not quite under his breath.

Shadow shook his head, picking up a pen and paper. "The blue hedgehog seems to dislike you rather excessively. Myself, I make a point of never disliking or liking anyone until I've known them at least a year, so I don't care where you fit into the pattern here." He started writing. "In fact, the only reason I'm helping you now is because I don't like the thought of staying here with that damn hedgehog one second longer than I have to." He pushed the paper across to Robotnik. "You'll need to work out the latitude and longtitude of our position and our destination, of course," he added, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I trust that won't prove too difficult?"

A slight smile appeared on the doctor's face. "So what you're really saying is that you need my help?"

Shadow didn't rise. "No. I'm saying I'll take this vehicle back with or without your cooperation, but having it would make things considerably easier and more painless for both of us."

Robotnik abandoned the smile for a mock sad expression. "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow. Is that all you can do, threaten someone with violence and pain unless they cooperate?"

The hedgehog looked at him, eyes bereft of any kind of emotion. "Why not? It's how your fellow humans treated me down on Earth."

Something in Shadow's expression prompted Robotnik to abandon that particular line of inquiry. "So I work out the bearings you need. Then what?"

Shadow shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? The Void is reasonably predictable when it comes to appearances. It hops between the same point on two worlds, so all you need to do is return to the exact coordinates where it spat you out, and if it all goes according to plan it'll suck us back and we'll come out on Mobius again. Then we'll all go our separate ways and I'll probably never see or hear from any of you again. At least, I damn well hope not," he added, not quite under his breath.

Robotnik paused. Shadow's description didn't seem to tally with his own observations of the Void at all.

"That thing moves, though. I've seen it with my own eyes, _and_ it grows."

"Correct. It travels a certain distance in a random direction, expanding as it goes, then returns to its point of origin and zaps back to whichever world it's called to."

"Called?" The scientist in Robotnik was fully to the fore now; he leaned forward eagerly. "How is it called? And what made it come to this world instead of any oth—"

"I've really no idea," Shadow cut across, biting the words off at the end; he hated admitting ignorance of anything, "but I do know that one Void only zaps between two worlds. It's not just Mobius that's been affected; those things have been appearing everywhere. How do you think those black aliens arrived?"

Momentarily sidetracked, Robotnik frowned slightly. "Yes. Just what were those things, anyway?"

Another shrug. "Some form of alien. I never got to the bottom of it. All the time they were willing to do what I told them, I wasn't too bothered either."

"You don't know where their homeworld is?"

"What does that matter?" Shadow countered, which wasn't quite the same as a _no_. "Knowing won't get us out of here any faster."

Robotnik smiled. "Dear me. Is the one and only ultimate life form scared that the big bad human's race is going to come after it?"

Shadow's eyes flashed dangerously. "Is the big bad human scared that the one and only ultimate life form is going to Chaos Blast it if it doesn't start working on those coordinates _right now_?"

The smile broadened into a chuckle. "If you Chaos Blast me, who's going to get us out of here?"

"Oh, I can do that. It would just take a hell of a lot longer since I can't access the coordinates without hacking your system. I can do that as well, but it'll take time and I can't guarantee to leave the other files intact." Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Of course, if you're dead, that won't be an issue, will it?"

Robotnik chuckled again. "More death threats? I'd hoped you at least were above such melodrama."

"I never make threats," Shadow said icily. "Only promises." It had become his standard reply to comments of that sort, which had been an almost everyday occurrence in the beginning. Pushing the paper further under Robotnik's nose, he added, "Get to work," and vanished.

* * *

It wasn't until late in the evening that they saw any results. Sonic and Bait had grabbed a plate of food each and taken it into the cinema to eat with Robotnik's copy of _Independence Day_.

Halfway through the movie, Bait shifted his weight. "Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"What'd you do with...with..."

Sonic understood. "With Raker?"

A nod.

"It's taken care of, kiddo." It had been too; Sonic had picked the airlock option as the most dignified of the ones Shadow had suggested and ejected Raker's body into space. Rigor mortis had set in, and Sonic had had to manipulate the jackal's wooden limbs to fit him into the airlock, but the hedgehog kept that particular gem to himself.

"Yeah? What—" Bait broke off as the Egg Carrier jerked violently, throwing him and Sonic off balance. "What was _that_?"

Looking around at the rainbow hue that had settled on the room, Sonic understood.

"We're back in the Void. It's sucking us...somewhere."

"Your powers of deduction astound me, Sonic," Shadow said curtly from the entrance.

Sonic grinned. "Really?"

"Almost as much as your talent for stating the damn obvious."

"Cool!"

"Although not quite as much as your apparent immunity to sarcasm," Shadow added.

Bait pointed to the screen. "You wanna watch a movie with us?"

Shadow hesitated. That had been his original plan (although he hadn't intended to have company)...maybe...

"What are you watching?" he asked.

"_Independence Day,_" Sonic answered. "It's getting pretty good, Shads."

"Then no. I could never see what the fuss was about that movie; the story's been done to death and some of the lines are far more trite and melodramatic than anything Robotnik could come up with."

Sonic snorted. "Yeah, right. Like _you've _seen any human movies."

"Strange as it may seem, Sonic, the facility I left behind me had plenty." Shadow shook his head. "How many of the human references in these movies do you even understand, anyway?"

"None!" Sonic said cheerfully. "But the special effects are still way cool."

"What's _your_ fav'rite human movie, mister?" Bait asked suddenly.

"Bait..." Sonic winked at the jackal. "No need to be formal with the Shadster here, is there, Shads?"

Shadow addressed Bait as he said, "Various. The original _Stepford Wives_, although the remake was good. As to the second point, I really don't care what you call me. I'm not going to blast you for calling me by name, if that's what you're frightened of. _Name_, not nickname." This last was directed at Sonic, who snorted.

"Ah, c'mon, lighten up, Shads. There's nothing wrong with nicknames. I wouldn't mind if you gave me one."

"I have already considered several for you, hedgehog, but none of them are repeatable in polite society."

Tossing his plate to the ground (the carpet was so thick there was no danger of it breaking) Sonic got to his feet and stretched lazily, grinning.

"Yeah, right. C'mon Shads, what'd I do to you?"

"Besides catapulting yourself into my facility, eating into my supplies and breaking your side of the deal we made?" Shadow said.

"Deal?" Sonic paused mid-stretch. "What deal? _You_ said—" here he dropped into a surprisingly good impression of Shadow's voice— "'gimme a pod and you can go'. That's not a deal, Shadow, that's a command."

"You say knife, I say dagger. It's still the same damn thing as far as I'm concerned; you tried to double-cross me. You should thank me for letting you live."

Sonic smirked. "Okay, you're right." Dropping to his knees, he prostrated himself before the black hedgehog. "Thankyou, oh great and powerful Shadow. Truly lesser mortals such as myself must cower and grovel in your awesome presence, lest you visit upon me a punishment most dire and dreadful, not to mention just plain icky."

There was a long, deadly silence, then Shadow said, "Why do I get the feeling you're not taking me very seriously?"

Sonic bounced onto his feet again, his grin threatening to split his face in two. "C'mon, you take things too seriously, Shads."

"And _you_ don't take them seriously enough."

"We're going home, Shadow. If that doesn't give us the right to throw a party, what does?" Sonic paused. "We are going home, right?"

"You are. I'm just going to Mobius."

"But we're inside the Void, right?"

Shadow raised a cold eye ridge. "Why don't you look for yourself?"

Sonic did just that, racing over to the nearest viewport and flipping the shutter open to see colours were whirling and spinning crazily around them.

Grinning, he turned to Shadow. "Guess the doc managed to figure it out after all, huh?"

"With considerable help," Shadow answered. "How long did it take you to travel from Mobius to Venus?"

Sonic frowned as he considered. "I guess a few days. That's how long it took last—"

Shadow vanished, cutting Sonic off midsentence. Undaunted, the blue hedgehog glared at the space where Shadow had been standing and shouted, "Jeez, Shads, don't you ever just _walk_ anywhere?"

Several corridors away and unaware of all this, Shadow skated through a part of the Egg Carrier that Sonic and Bait had never been interested in visiting. Avoiding the huge pipes and tubes which lined the walls and jutted out into the corridor at irregular angles, Shadow skated on, using the Chaos Emerald to light his way, searching for Omega.

He found him surrounded by...well, Shadow supposed you could call them robots, if only because most people didn't take the trouble to paint scrap metal red and yellow.

Drawing smoothly to a halt, Shadow said, "ETA three days. Get ready."

Warping back to the small room in Robotnik's half he'd claimed for his own, Shadow sat down on the bed, deep in thought.

Mobius. Was he pleased to be going back there? He honestly didn't know. He didn't consider it home in the same way he hadn't considered the human facility _home_; it had just been a place to live for a while. On the other hand, the people there – at least, the few he'd actually exchanged words with – hadn't been hostile.

Well, he couldn't very well order the doctor to turn around and try his luck with another Void. Even to him, it sounded ridiculous.

Shadow checked the door was tightly locked, then pulled a filing cabinet across it anyway. Better safe than sorry. At least this way he'd know if someone wanted him; if any of the other three were able to get in and try and wake him, Shadow would probably Chaos Blast them before he realised he'd made a mistake.

Lying on the bed, he draped one arm over his eyes and was asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

Despite Sonic's assurances, it was a full week later when Shadow appeared in Sonic and Bait's room.

"We're back."

In the way of most people who have just been abruptly awakened, Sonic's hand groped for a potential missile before closing over a pillow and throwing it at the black hedgehog.

"Whadyouwant, Shads?"

"A cushion free airspace would be favourite," Shadow informed him.

"Sopissofflemmesleep."

The black hedgehog curled his lip. "Fine. I'll just tell the doctor that you've decided to enjoy his hospitality a little longer. Don't worry, Sonic; I'll give your regards to Mobius."

Sonic sat up groggily. "Wha?"

Rolling his eyes, Shadow picked up the jug of water Sonic kept by his hammock and dumped its contents over the already drowsy hedgehog's head.

With a loud yell, Sonic was up and on his feet, halfway across the room and shaking all over.

Catching sight of the black hedgehog, he folded his arms. "That was a damn nasty thing to do to a hydrophobe, Shads!"

"We're back," Shadow said, wondering if Sonic was awake enough to take this in yet.

Sonic twisted around, attempting to sluice water off his quills and not really listening. "What?"

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Just get down to the robotics factory in the next ten minutes."

In fact, it was more like twenty by the time Sonic and Bait finally turned up, and then the sight of Seaside Hill Zone spread out underneath them drove all other considerations out of their mind, including the sight of Robotnik and several pages of calculations spread over a workbench.

Sonic stared down at the ocean for a few minutes, then his face slowly spread into a broad grin.

"Oh man! I never thought I'd be so happy to see the sea!" The hedgehog shook his head, glancing over at Robotnik, for once with no thought of antagonism. "How on _Mobius_ did you get exactly the right spot _and_ the right Void _and_ the right location from _those_?" He waved a hand towards the calculations.

"Yes, I was about to ask you that," Shadow said from where he was scrutinising the figures carefully, "because I've been going through these in some depth and you appear to have made a mistake."

Robotnik bristled. "Impossible!"

Shadow fixed him with a level stare. "Fourteen times nine to the power of _n_ where _n_ equals a constant fluctuation between the values of _x_ and _y_ where _x_ is the latitude and _y_ the longtitude of our current position divided by _a_ and _b_ where _a_ is the latitude of our destination and _b_ the longtitude—" he took a deep breath— "is one hundred and fifty six, not one hundred and forty six. You forgot to carry the one."

Robotnik stared back, although in his case it was slightly marred by the slow flush creeping over his face.

"If _you_ hadn't been so gung-ho about leaving as soon as possible, maybe I wouldn't have had to work thirty six hours without a break and maybe I wouldn't have been tired enough from that to make a mistake!"

"Appalling physical fitness on your part does _not_ constitute leniency on mine," Shadow informed him. "I would have thought a wannabe world ruler would take better care of himself. Isn't courting death by enraged mobs enough without the risk of heart failure?"

Sonic burst out laughing. "Oh man! He's got you there, doc."

Robotnik looked at Sonic, now smiling complacently. "You realise something, Sonic? Now we're back on Mobius, everything's back to normal between you and me. You understand that, don't you?"

Sonic hesitated. "You wouldn't consider—"

"What?" Robotnik cut across. "Renouncing my evil ways, going back to the good old days and never building another doomsday device?"

"Well...yeah."

"No. What you've never understood, Sonic, is that being like me is a lot more fun and a lot more interesting than being like you."

There was a long silence, then Sonic said, "No, you've lost me there."

Robotnik flicked a finger impatiently. "It doesn't matter. We're back home, and this truce between us is now null and void. You understand?"

A slow smile crept across Sonic's face as he said, "I wouldn't have it any other way, doc."

"Excellent. I'm glad you see it my way." Robotnik snapped his fingers and gestured to three of the bots that lined the walls, then pointed at Sonic, Bait and Shadow. "Kill them."

**Okay, so that wound up being longer than I expected, but still...:P Hope you liked it and if you read, please review!**


	19. Central Cavern

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Death wish, no kidding ;)**

**Matt Lans: Well, Robotnik's been sitting on that card for a pretty long time now ;) As for Shadow's...why, whatever gives you that idea? (innocent look)**

**Milette Tails Prower: No worries :P And thanks, glad you liked it**

**TC Chan: Well...no resemblance was intended (I'm not exactly a Simpsons fan :P) But thanks :D More Sonic and Shadow bantering shall follow very shortly...**

**Forgotten Muse: Heh...for all we know, Sonic might be right ;) **

**Taranea: Thanks :D (_Shadow: Hmph_)Sonic's behaviour around Robotnik...to be honest, I think he was just on too much of a high not to act like that ;) (_Sonic: Look, _I_ knew I had to get Bait away from Raker! It's _Bait_ that had trouble with that!_)**

**Private somebody: Thanks. I'm not holding out a lot of hope for anything to be done – so far only one webmaster has had the courtesy to remove the story – but it's enough for me that people know it's been stolen. And thanks again, glad you liked the chapter :D**

**Awdures: Thanks. And on the going separate ways...you have no idea ;)**

**A Tails Fan: Ah yes, what did happen to Tails to make him go nuts? That's pretty much for me to know and you to guess at the minute...**

**D.C.111: Yeah, it was pretty long...I did cut an actual battle between Sonic and Shadow out (that'll be in the sequel since this story's nearly over now)**

**shadow-spawn180: Heh, yeah, it was kinda lengthy ;)**

**Parslie: Thanks :D**

**Hawk's Soul: Thanks, glad you liked it :D Sonic's parents/childhood...yes, there is something in the works on that. It'll be covered in the _Sonic 1_ adaptation, when I get around to doing it :P As far as Bait's real name goes...well, I know what it is, but since everyone else who knows is dead, it's not looking likely ;)**

_Guardian's Log no. 11501_

_Things just got a little more interesting. I found a replacement for the Master Emerald, and I also found Tails...or perhaps I should say that he found me. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one. I finally got a chance to come face to face with the one who half killed the kid last time he was down here. Time for a little payback._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_Knuckles got a Master Emerald! Well, kinda; it still looks like a giant boulder at the minute, but it should make Angel Island fly again! I wonder if he'd let me study its mechanics?_

_Scarface showed up. Not that he scares me; Knux can take him easy!_

_--Tails_

"I realise this is going to sound somewhat trite," Scarface said pleasantly, "but put your hands in the air and step away from the giant glowing boulder."

Knuckles hefted the giant glowing boulder instead, the menace in the gesture unmistakable. "You want this? Fine. Just tell me where."

The chameleon smiled slightly. "That's up to you. Though I'd think long and carefully before doing anything, ah, _rash_." Lunging forward, the suddenness of the motion catching them by surprise, he seized Tails and yanked him back. Pulling out a vicious looking knife, he pressed it hard against the fox's throat, an action made considerably more difficult by Tails' determined struggles and attempts to break free.

"Kill me and you'll kill the brat too. You don't really want to do that, do you?"

Knuckles tossed the boulder over his shoulder like it weighed next to nothing, then took a step forward, fists clenched. "Get away from him!"

"All in good time." Scarface increased the pressure and a thin line of blood dribbled along the blade to the ground. "Now, you're going to tell me exactly why you came down here and what you want or I'm going to slice this little turd's throat right here and right now."

Knuckles opened his mouth angrily, but Espio got in first.

"It was my idea."

"Yours?" Scarface laughed. "Don't be stupid, Espio. The echidna bribing you to come back down I can just about believe, at a push, but there's no way you'd come back of your own free will." He paused, smirking. "Of course, for old times' sake - and five hundred Mobiums - I could be persuaded to let you leave."

Knuckles shifted his weight. _Looks like that's it._

Well, he couldn't blame the chameleon for wanting to get out. Even he wasn't sure if he'd have the integrity to voluntarily stay in a situation like this.

"Tempting offer," Espio answered coolly, "but not quite tempting enough." He shrugged. "You were right; Knuckles here owes me a lot of money. I'm not letting him out of my sight until he's paid me."

Scarface smiled slightly. "Same old story, huh Espio? Always ready to extend a helping hand."

"_Him_?" Tails asked, the incredulity in his tones only matched by that on his face.

"Oh yes, my brother's always been oddly trusting for a chameleon."

There was a long, long silence.

"Are we talking about the same brother here?" Tails asked eventually.

"Chameleon standards of trust are somewhat different to yours," Espio said, sounding as though each word was causing him physical pain.

"Exactly," Scarface agreed pleasantly. "Some Mobians see the glass half full, some half empty, but as far as I know, we're the only race to test it for poison and then pour it down the sink. Espio here was more than willing to make friends with the first person he came across after abandoning his family."

Tails twisted around, kicking out and managing to land a hard blow to the chameleon's shin. It was a brave move, but useless; Scarface simply lifted a piece of rubble that had been thrown out by Knuckles' excavations and cracked Tails across the head. Dropping the now limp fox to the ground, he raised an eye ridge at Knuckles.

"Don't look at me like that. He should have known better than to try and attack me. Since you were kind enough to show us the way down here – this organisation has been searching for these caves for over a hundred years – I may be persuaded to let the three of you go."

"What organisation?" Espio demanded. Scarface chuckled.

"If you hadn't developed so much of a conscience, Espio, you'd already know the answer to that question." He shook his head. "Take the fox, if he means that much to you, and the echidna as well. You have one hour to get out."

"And _you_ got ten seconds to leave before I break your snout horn off and ram it right up under that curly tail of yours!" Knuckles snarled.

The chameleon snickered quietly. "Oh really?" Stepping towards the echidna, he added softly, "Are you sure about that?"

The attack was so unexpected that at first Knuckles didn't register it, brushing it off as a sudden itch. It wasn't until Espio collapsed next to him and he saw the tranquilliser dart sticking out of the chameleon's shoulder that he realised what had happened, but by then it was too late. Knuckles' muscles seemed to turn to water, and he dropped to the ground. A pair of boots – Scarface's – approached in his rapidly dimming vision, and then everything went dark.

-

When Knuckles opened his eyes, he found himself in a cavern that was surprisingly large, and also completely empty. Two passageways led off, one well lit enough to illuminate the room itself and reflect off a deep pool of water to the left. The other passage was barely more than a narrow tunnel hacked into one wall. Knuckles supposed he could get through it, if he wriggled on his belly.

At the moment, however, this was something of a moot concern since he was also in a cage that hung from the ceiling, so small the echidna could feel it pressing in on every part of his body. Somehow his hands had been trapped outside at the wrists, effectively rendering him helpless. On either side of him, he could see Tails and Espio awake and in the same situation. There was an ugly lump on Tails' head, but otherwise he seemed fine.

Something shimmered in front of him and Scarface appeared leaning against the wall, arms folded.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" he said pleasantly, as though the past events hadn't happened. "We have the Chaos Caves. What we don't have is the knowledge of how to extract Chaos matter."

Knuckles curled his lip. "Something wrong with your slaves?"

"No more than usual, except that you mentioned something about an _atomic explosion_. Like Espio said, those words are not good words. Losing the odd slave in cave-ins is one thing, but this could wipe out the entire network."

"It could jus' be a small one," Tails pointed out.

"I'm not sure there _is_ such a thing as a small atomic explosion," Scarface answered, "and I don't plan to take the chance either." He glanced at Knuckles. "We have access to ancient texts, apparently belonging to your ancestors. They described the Chaos Caves, and the one you were carrying had a map. They must have included a way of excavating the matter safely."

"I'm sure they did," Knuckles said, staring back stonily. "But if you think I'm going to translate for you—"

"Actually, I don't," Scarface cut across, "mainly because my IQ is higher than that of a turnip."

"Only just," Tails said, glaring at the chameleon.

"Sekko, on the other hand," Scarface went on as if Tails hadn't spoken, "he's a little less up to date. He seems to think you'll cooperate to save the life of the kid hanging next to you."

"Over my dead body," Knuckles snapped, then realised what he'd said and turned a guilty look on Tails, who fortunately didn't seem to have registered the words.

Scarface smiled slightly. "Funny you should mention that, because that's exactly what I said. I suggested we leave you and he agreed." The smile broadened. "After all, you very kindly excavated a significant amount."

"Yeah. And just what are you going to do with it?" Knuckles demanded.

"No idea," Scarface replied with disarming candour. Seeing their joint expressions, he spread his hands to the side. "I just work here. But whoever gets that kind of power...well, I'd rather have them inside pissing out than outside pissing in, if you get my drift."

"You want me to tell you what you can do with your _drift_?" Knuckles growled.

The chameleon smirked. "Not in front of your little friend."

"Who're you calling _little_?" Tails demanded belligerently.

There was an angry silence.

"I don't enjoy doing this," Scarface said suddenly to Espio, with the air of one who has been working up to this for the whole conversation. "At least, not to you."

Espio stared stonily ahead. "And I care about this..._why_, exactly?"

The other chameleon folded his arms. "Let me offer again. You know how things work down here, Espie. Make it worth my while and I'll let you go."

Espio closed his eyes. "You got nothing new to say, Lugnor, and you're saying it too damn loud as far as I'm concerned." He opened them again. "Tell me one thing, though. Was Charmy right? Does Scrap Brain Zone have some kind of deal with this place?"

Scarface chuckled low in his throat. "Please. You think I'd admit to something like that?" He shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter, because the answer is no. The head of Zonal security has been given instructions never to search our delivery vans and we do give him a large chunk of our profits, but most people think they're still dropping off cosmetics."

In the cage to the right of Knuckles, Tails glared at the chameleon. "Yeah, 'steada _slaves_!"

The chameleon laughed again. "Be fair. We could hardly transport you in broad daylight and in full view of everyone, could we?" He shook his head. "I really am going to regret them killing you," he added sincerely. "I've not met anyone like you before."

Tails kicked futilely, only managing to wiggle the cage a little. "An' you're not gonna meet anyone like me again!"

"I hope not. One of you is intriguing. Any more and I think I might develop an inferiority complex; I've never had so much defiance for so long." He raised an eye ridge. "Then again, bearing that in mind, you're too dangerous to leave alive. You might give other people ideas."

"You better get outta here!" Tails said, glaring at Scarface, who ignored both the words and the gesture. The chameleon had seen far too many hate-filled stares over the years to be moved by one more.

"Espio...?" Scarface let the word hang in the air, a tantalising promise of freedom.

The other chameleon narrowed his eyes, then stuck a clenched fist through the cage and flicked up a single obscene finger. Scarface's face twisted in an ugly fashion, then he abruptly spun on his heel.

"Have it your way, then. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."

Spinning on one heel, he strode away down the larger of the two passages, leaving the trio behind.

The three of them hung there in silence for some time. Then Knuckles said, "You didn't have to do that, Espio."

Espio didn't look up at him. "Yeah, I did. Just…don't make a big issue out of it, okay?" He gritted his teeth, wincing as a sudden cramp tore through his leg muscles. Only Tails, who was smaller than either Espio or Knuckles and able to stick his legs through the bars and dangle them outside the cage, was reasonably comfortable.

"So how the hell do we get out?" Knuckles said flatly.

Tails blinked. "Can't you just rip the bars apart?"

"What do you think I've been _trying_ to do?" the echidna grated. "It's too damn small for me to get any real leverage." A drop of freezing water spattered on his snout and he winced. "Plus the fact I think hypothermia's about to set in."

"What are you complaining about?" Espio demanded. "You're furry!"

Tails squinted at Knuckles. "Actually, I think he's more fuzzy than furry."

"Well, _you_ are damn well _fluffy_," Espio snapped. "What the hell have I got between me and the cold?"

"Your griping?" Knuckles suggested, who was bridling slightly at Tails' comment about _fuzzy_.

More silence.

"No amount of money's worth this," Espio muttered at the end of it.

A third silence. This one was really going for broke; it lasted a full ten minutes before Tails broke it.

"Espio?"

The chameleon glanced at the fox. "What?"

"When you worked in the tunnels and they brought back slaves who tried to run away...what happened to them?"

The chameleon shot him a sharp look, but Tails' expression was innocent. He supposed it wasn't that unreasonable a question, given the circumstances.

"If they'd tried more than once, they were killed. Usually slowly and painfully. If it was just once, they were hobbled. That was a long time ago in a different part of the planet; it may be different here."

Tails flattened his ears. "Hobbled?"

"Yeah, kid, hobbled; they break your ankle and leave it to heal wrong so you can't run again. Or sometimes they just cut your foot off." Espio was being unnecessarily brutal, hoping that by doing so he could shut the fox up. "They used to do it to the headcases as well."

"Headcases?" Knuckles echoed.

Espio shrugged, gaze fixed on a small ledge several feet away. "People go insane down here. They have to do something to protect themselves."

Thinking about insanity reminded Tails of what Scarface had told him and he swallowed.

"Espie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did _you_ ever go insane?"

The chameleon's head snapped around to face him. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you'd ever gone insane," Tails repeated.

"No."

"Okay." Tails swung his legs morosely for a few minutes, brooding on their situation, and then said, "So who's Verza?"

There was a long, long silence. Then Espio said, "Where did you hear that name?"

Tails shrugged, picking up a small pebble and examining it idly before flicking it away. "Scarface told me. He said I should ask you about Verza, so I am. Who's Verza?"

Espio looked away again, face drawn. "Long story."

"That's okay. I mean, we're not going anywhere."

Briefly the chameleon considered ignoring him, then gave a kind of inward sigh. Ignoring people like Tails rarely did any good; it just made them more curious.

"I was the second eldest in my clutch," he said tersely. "In my family, really; that clutch was my parents' first one. Scarface and I went down with that company to work as overseers to slaves when I was fourteen. For a while everything went well, at least for us. Then I did something incredibly stupid."

Tails' ears perked eagerly. "Yeah? What?"

Espio tensed. Something nobody knew was that he suffered from claustrophobia, a condition which had only really developed after events in the mines. Being in such a small space wasn't doing much for his temper.

"Just leave it, okay?"

Tails swished both namesakes, purely for something to do. "C'mon Espie. We got time, right?"

The chameleon laughed bitterly. "You could say that. They're going to leave us here to die of dehydration. They'll be back in about a month to dispose of our bodies."

Tails nodded readily. "Okay. Then you don't gotta worry about us telling anyone on the outside, huh Espie? What'd you do that was so bad?"

"I..." Espio shifted his weight, jaw clenched. When he realised Tails wouldn't take silence for an answer, he said tersely, "I fell in love, okay? Now can we _drop_ the subject?"

Tails dropped his jaw instead. He supposed anyone could fall in love, but _Espio_? He'd never thought the chameleon loved anything except money and secrets.

"You _what?_" Wriggling delightedly, current predicament all but forgotten, Tails squirmed until he was facing the chameleon. "With Verza? Where is she now?"

"My so-called brother grassed me up. She was put down and I...lost my cool." Something in the way Espio said it discouraged even Tails from probing too deeply; the three of them sat in a silence that was almost poignant for several minutes.

"We gotta get outta here," Tails said eventually.

Knuckles snorted. "Tell me something I don't know." Shaking his head, he added, "Damn, Espio, I don't know why I let you talk me into this!"

It was almost worth everything he'd suffered so far, Tails thought, just to see the chameleon's expression at that moment.

"I talked _you_ into it? You offered me five grand to come down here, and so far I haven't seen so much as a half Mobium!"

"And thanks to that brother of yours, I guess you never will either!"

Tuning out the increasingly heated argument currently taking place to the left of him, Tails frowned as he tried to figure a way out. Maybe...

Trying not to think too much about what he was doing, the fox folded his legs back, then leaned forward very slightly.

"What're you doing?" Espio demanded, breaking off his argument with Knuckles long enough to notice Tails' movement.

"If I can get this swinging—" Tails leaned back— "it's gonna hit Knux and if I hit him hard enough the door's gonna burst open and then I can fly up and let you guys out." Reaching through, he caught hold of a rock outcropping and somehow managed to pull himself back before letting go and flying towards the echidna.

When he'd been alive, Vector had been an avid collector of gadgetry and desk ornaments. While Charmy had enthused about these almost as much as the crocodile, Espio had refused to be impressed and had got rid of every single one after Vector's death. One that he still remembered, however, had been one of the more common ones; five steel balls were suspended from a wooden frame on black threads. You pulled one back and it crashed into the other four and sent the one on the opposite side flying, or you could do it with two. Espio had been extremely dismissive of this particular ornament, mostly because the incessant clacking got on his nerves after about five minutes. However, as Tails crashed into Knuckles and sent Espio flying off in the other direction, the chameleon thought he understood where the designer had gotten the idea from.

It worked too, after a fashion. Tails' and Knuckles' cages both remained stubbornly shut, but the chain suspending Espio's bent around a jagged outcropping and snapped, flinging both the cage and its occupant to the ground and bursting the door open.

Tails fixed Knuckles with a smug look. "Knux? I'm a genius."

The echidna rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I am!" Tails struck a heroic pose as best as his cramped conditions would allow. "I been thinking, maybe I oughta start charging for my ideas! Sonic always said I was the smartest kid in the world! One day I'm gonna go an' be the most famous inventor on all Mobius!"

Espio opened the door and Knuckles hopped out, fixing Tails with a look.

"In the meantime, kid, you snore like a jackhammer, you still play video games and your ideas have a tendency to blow people up."

Tails snorted. "Summa the coolest people on Mobius still play video games, Knucklehead! Are you gonna let me out?"

"Not if you're gonna spend the time bragging about almost getting me and Espio killed," Knuckles retorted.

Tails' ears drooped slightly. "I wasn't _bragging_, Knux."

"It sure sounded like it to me." Reaching up, Knuckles literally ripped Tails' cage apart and returned his attention to Espio. "Alright, so we're outta that. Now we just need to get what we came for and—"

"Screw that," Espio said flatly. "We get _out_."

Knuckles folded his arms. "I came down here for the Master Emerald and my sister, Espio, and I'm not leaving without them!"

The chameleon folded his. "Then _you_ go find them. I'm getting the hell out while the getting's good." He glanced at Tails. "If you're even half as smart as people seem to think, you'll come too."

Tails shook his head. "Forget it! I'm sticking with Knux. Anyway, I'm the only one who can work the echidna detector."

Espio snatched up a rock and hurled it away from him, where it bounced into the water with a _plunk_.

"You two have no idea what you're getting yourselves into, do you? You're in over your head, Knuckles, you _and_ the kid, and this is the kind of place where the only people who can help you are more than happy to sit back and watch you drown!"

"They also have my sister," Knuckles countered.

Espio opened his mouth, then closed it again and said abruptly, "Alright, I'm gonna say this because someone has to. So what?"

The other two stared at him, speechless.

"Yeah, you heard me." Espio started walking, heading for the darker tunnel. "If they were going to kill her, they'd have done it by now. If they're not, then she's fine for the minute."

"Fine!" Knuckles overtook the chameleon and seized him by the arms. "How can you say that?"

To his surprise, Espio didn't vanish; instead he simply stared at Knuckles, lip curled.

"Do me a favour, Knuckles. Think with your head and not your fists for once in your damn life, alright? Tails got us out. Don't throw that away now." He shook his head. "Or let me rephrase that; do whatever the hell you want. You usually do anyway. Just don't drag me into it; I'm done with this hell." The chameleon glanced over to where Tails was starting down the larger, well-lit passageway and snorted. "And you can get out of there as well; it's a trap."

Tails paused, examining the stone walls minutely for signs of machinery before turning to the chameleon. "It is?"

"Sure." Much as he disliked their current situation, Espio couldn't very well sit back and watch Tails and Knuckles toss their lives away. "They always light up one tunnel and make it look as inviting as possible, then they put as many people as they can spare on it, knowing that you're far more likely to take that one than any other."

Knuckles released him, his body language saying he was more than ready to grab the chameleon again at a second's notice.

"How do you know?"

Espio laughed hollowly. "It was my idea, Knuckles." He shook his head. "Look. You want to go, fine. I never saw you and I'll make sure that nobody else will either. But don't ask me to go with you."

"You said—" Knuckles began.

"I _said_ I'd get you into the tunnels," Espio cut across. "I never said I'd hang around afterwards. Go on, if you're going." He nodded down the tunnel. "You're wasting time."

"He's right." Tails grabbed Knuckles' arm and pulled hard. "C'mon. We gotta go."

Whether Espio had also been right about the unlit tunnel not being watched, or whether they were just lucky, Knuckles never knew, but they managed to make their way to the end of it without being challenged.

Unfortunately, it looked like their luck was about to run out. The tunnel had ended abruptly in a huge cavern, one which stretched down over several levels via metal ladders and pulleys. The room itself was brightly lit, not from any artificial light source but from the sun, which shone down through the top of the cave.

"Knux?"

"Yeah?"

Wriggling closer to whisper into the echidna's ear, or at least the part of the head where he'd always presumed such a thing was, Tails said, "I got an idea."

"Shoot."

"If you race down an' grab your sister, I can fly you out the top."

Knuckles glared at the fox. "That's great, Tails, except for three things. One, how the hell am I supposed to do that without being spotted. Two, if I race out of here, they're most likely gonna find _you_ here too. And three, we don't even know if she's down there!"

"Well—" Tails scowled at the echidna in imitation of Knuckles and deepened his voice to a ridiculous pitch— "one, you're not; you're s'posed to storm outta here an' grab her while the overseers're reeling from the shock. Two, they're probably gonna be too busy trying to kill you to worry 'bout me. An' three, yes we do; see? Right at the bottom." He pointed and Knuckles followed his finger, saw the target and froze. Tails had told him there was an echidna puggle in the mines, but part of him had refused to believe it, had still stubbornly maintained that he was the last one.

"We gotta do _something_, Knux," Tails added.

The echidna glanced at him. "Yeah, but what?"

Every instinct was currently ordering him to rush in with both fists whirling, but something else – namely his survival instinct – was holding him back. Getting himself killed wasn't going to help anyone.

"Look!" Tails changed the direction of his finger, shrinking back against Knuckles as he did so. As the echidna watched, Scarface strode past. Unlike the other overseers, he was moving with a definite purpose, his manner one of someone who had somewhere to go.

"Alright." Knuckles kept his own voice low. "You get yourself out of this, Tails. Fly up through the hole and _go_."

Tails was already shaking his head before the echidna had finished the first sentence.

"Uh _uh_. Forget it, Knucklehead! We're a team, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." Knuckles racked his brains frantically for something that would both convince Tails and allow the echidna to keep his pride. "I need you to go guard the way out."

Tails gave Knuckles a long, drawn out look that said clearly _don't give me any of that six-year-old stuff_.

"No you don't, you just want me out of the way."

"Alright then, let's go with that. I don't want to have to keep looking over my shoulder for you; this is going to be tough enough as it is."

Tails folded his arms and scowled at Knuckles. "An' it's gonna be even tougher without me! I can distract 'em!"

The echidna scowled back. "I said _no_!"

There was a long pause, during which Knuckles wondered why nobody had come to investigate yet. Surely they _must_ have been overheard by now...

"How come you don't want me around anymore?" Tails asked suddenly. His voice was still as quiet as it had been before, but there was no missing the pain in those bright blue eyes.

Knuckles sighed. "It's not that I don't want you around—"

Tails shoved at him. "It is! Ever since you got me out the first time you been different around me, like...like..."

"Like I'm worried you're gonna go feral and try to rip out my throat again?" Knuckles filled in coolly. "You know, kid, maybe that's because I _am_!"

In the ringing silence that followed, Knuckles drew in a deep breath and expelled it in a sigh.

"Look Tails, why are you so determined to go in? There are easier ways to dice with death!"

The fox pounded him hard on the arm. "Yeah, I know, 'cause I'm the only one out of us who was ever down here!"

"Exactly, and look what it did to you!" The words were out of the echidna's mouth before he had a chance to stop them, and he sighed again. "Tails, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

"You're scared it's gonna make me go feral again 'cause you think I can't cope!" Tails said stridently.

"It's not that..."

"Then you jus' think I'd be useless at a time like this since I'm just a kid!"

"Tails..." Knuckles tried again, but the fox overrode him.

"An' if they catch you an' I don't know about it, what am I s'posed to do?"

The echidna shifted his weight until his back was against the side of the tunnel. "You could start by keeping your voice down."

Another punch, this one in the chest. "You don't think I can do it, Knux! You're...you're just like Sonic!"

Knuckles reacted, jerking upright and accidentally cracking his head on the ceiling. "You take that back, kid!"

"No! After everything that's happened, you're just happy to send me away 'cause you think you can handle things better without me!"

Something cracked inside Knuckles and he grabbed Tails by the shoulders.

"I am _not_ going to lose you down here again!"

The silence this time was deafening; Tails was staring at Knuckles wordlessly, eyes huge. For the echidna to make such an admission...almost tantamount to confessing he actually _cared_ for the fox...it was so out of character that Tails wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.

"And I'm _not _just like Sonic," Knuckles muttered sourly. "That guy has the opposite problem; from what I can see, he's more than happy to risk your life on a daily basis."

"At least he trusts me!"

Knuckles sighed. "_I_ trust you, Tails; I just don't want you to get hurt."

There. He'd said it.

"An' I don't want _you_ to get hurt, Knux, so I'm gonna stay right here where I can keep an eye on you!" Tails folded his arms and fixed the echidna with a look that dared Knuckles to move him.

"Can't we discuss this later?"

"No, 'cause if we stay here much longer..." Tails shut his mouth with a snap as Scarface returned. Unlike the last time, he was now moving more idly, telling both Tails and Knuckles that whatever he'd had to do had been done.

The air in front of them rippled and Espio appeared, slamming a fist into the side of Scarface's head and knocking him ten feet back along the ledge.

There was a silence. Work had ceased immediately at the sound of the blow, and the overseers themselves were too stunned to start it up again.

"Espio...?" Knuckles' voice was heavy with disbelief.

The chameleon turned towards him, massaging his hand.

"Go on, Knuckles. Go get your sister." Glancing back to where Scarface had already picked himself up, Espio added, "I'll make sure he doesn't interfere."

The other chameleon sneered at him. Gone was any pretence of amiability; now the emotions on his face clearly mirrored his brother's.

"If that's the way you want it."

"That's the way it is." Espio kept a weather eye on Scarface's whip as he spoke. Slaves be damned; those things were dangerous weapons in their own right if you knew how to use them, and there was no doubt in his mind that the other chameleon was extremely proficient in that art. One hard blow across the face could take out an eye, and Espio didn't much want to spend the rest of his life blind.

"Shame," Scarface remarked, and Espio got the odd sense that he actually meant it. Shaking his head, Scarface advanced slowly, deliberately. "Why did you come back, Espie? I was happy to let you go. I didn't tell anyone about your home in Scrap Brain, did I?"

"No," Espio said tersely, "you just blew it up."

Scarface smiled. "Well, I didn't push the button myself. One of our suppliers did that; all I did was rig the bombs." He shrugged. "Anyway, you survived, didn't you?"

"I did." There was a strong emphasis on the first word that Scarface picked up on instantly; his smile widened.

"Ah. Who didn't?"

"That's not your concern." Espio moved sideways, placing himself between his brother and the way down. Out the corner of his eye he could see Tails airlifting Knuckles down.

"Fine," Scarface said with a shrug. "Keep your little secret, if it makes you feel superior." Stepping back, he vanished.

It took Espio a few minutes to realise he'd been tricked, that Scarface had no intention of attacking him, and he literally threw himself over the edge, oblivious to personal safety. He crashed into Scarface on his way down, purely by luck, and the pair of them fell to the bottom still fighting.

Espio's arm hit a rocky outcropping and broke with an audible _snap, _spinning the chameleon over and over before gravity recovered itself and slam-dunked him into the rock. Fully visible again, the chameleon managed to roll himself onto his side, taking the weight off his broken arm, then forced himself to his feet. Dizziness whirled through his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, as though by doing so he could shut out the pain.

There was a silence. Nobody seemed to be capable of anything except standing and staring. Dimly Espio registered the fact that Knuckles and Tails had landed next to him.

"Espie! Espie, are you okay?" Tails inadvertently grabbed the chameleon's broken arm and very nearly got a shuriken in the face for his efforts.

"Never mind me." The words were almost unintelligible, delivered harshly through clenched teeth. "Knuckles, get moving."

The echidna glanced at Tails. "Tails, take Espio and get him out of here, then come back down. I'll need you to get us clear."

The look Tails gave him made the echidna feel ten feet tall, then the fox had seized Espio around the waist and taken off, carrying him up.

"This is undignified," Espio grated, adding a few seconds later, "And _painful_."

Tails looked down to where the chameleon had somehow managed to find the strength to disappear again and groaned.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Espie. I never know if I'm talking to your face or your butt when I can't see you."

"Getting hauled up like a piece of damn meat is humiliating enough without everyone being able to see me to boot," Espio informed him tightly. Despite this he seemed unable to maintain camouflage for very long; he kept sliding in and out of sight.

Tails had risen another ten feet when Espio suddenly said, "Wait!"

The fox shook his head. "We gotta get outta here, Espie! What if they bring in a flying overseer?" There were some birds among the slaves, but all of these had wings that were either clipped or – more commonly – broken. At the moment, all anyone on the ground could do was watch.

"No. Wait. Down there." Espio jerked his head towards where Knuckles was heading towards the puggle. With a sudden stab of fear, Tails realised that Scarface had gotten there first.

Looking up, the chameleon caught sight of both the fox and his passenger, and raised an eye ridge.

"You know what, Espie?" The unexpected sincerity in his voice took the other chameleon aback in spite of himself. "I really wish it didn't have to be this way."

The smile vanished and he snatched a pickaxe from the nearest worker and brought it down hard on the puggle's head.

**Sorry this one took so long; I got kinda sidetracked over the Christmas period :P Hope everyone had a good one and if you read this, please review :)**


	20. Bait vs Shadow

**Milette Tails Prower: Hey, checking twice is better than never checking :P And thanks...yeah, I like Espio too. Like you said, he's just so...different :D**

**Turbotails23: Oh yeah ;)**

**D.C.111: Yeah, it does put a new spin on things, doesn't it:P Imagine...all that work and danger for nothing ;)**

**Private somebody: Thanks :D Just getting started...well, sort of. This story only has a few more chapters to go and it's finished ;)**

**Hawk's Soul: Yeah, seems to go nuts every so often. I haven't received any review alerts for this chapter either...it tends to catch up with itself after a while ;) And thanks, glad you liked it :D**

**The Golden Dove: (bows) Thankyou; I revel in my sick twisty ways :P Heh. And as requested, one update ;)**

**Kj: Well...you'll find out what happens in the next chapter :P**

**Matt Lans: Last minute save...you'll have to wait and see ;)**

**Maverick87: (grins) Well, I try my best to be unpredictable ;) And okay, one shock-reducing chapter as requested :P**

**Awdures: You may well be right...**

**Taranea: Yep, another cliffhanger ;) Puggles do have hard skulls, it's true, but whether or not Knuckles' sister survived…you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out :P As far as Sonic goes, I think he's more than happy to bring Tails on his adventures; the only problem is that he got sucked into the Void just when they were starting to get back on their old footing**

**shadow-spawn180: Thanks :D And yes, the puggle (evil grin) Was it a survivable blow? Time will tell...**

**TC chan: Yeah, you have to wait ;) And thanks :D**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_You traitor, Robuttnik! You...you..._

_Well, in all honesty, I can't say I'm totally surprised. I shoulda guessed the doc would pull the treachery card sooner or later. I just thought he'd at least let us go before trying to kill us._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Not good; doc wants to kil us agen._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

Two of the three robots seized Sonic and Bait respectively before either had a chance to dodge. The third turned its weapon on its contemporaries and blasted them into pieces. The concussion shattered screens, panels and knocked all four combatants off their feet.

There was a long, stunned silence.

"Uh. Thanks," Sonic said, a little shakily. "But...aren't you supposed to be taking us prisoner?"

"Negative."

A slight glint appeared in Shadow's eyes. "Yes. Allow me to introduce you to Omega. He's been a real asset to me, so I took the precaution of bringing him along."

Sonic shifted his weight, eyeing the robot nervously. Old habits died hard, and Omega was less of a robot than a walking munitions factory.

"Yeah? Looks like one of Robotnik's guys to me."

"Correct, hedgehog. The doctor created him and then dumped him as inferior. Needless to say, Omega wasn't particularly happy about this."

"Worthless consumer model!"

"Indeed."

"Omega?" Robotnik steepled his fingers together and grinned broadly. "Ah, of course. It's been a while since I scrapped that particular line. If memory serves, there was a serious design flaw."

There was a _clack_ of weaponry and Omega swung towards him, cannons primed and ready.

"As soon as I heard we were nearly back to Mobius, I moved him up here." Shadow gestured around at the niches in the wall, each of which were apparently built to hold a robot each.

Sonic stared at him in mock indignation. "Jeez, Shads, you never mentioned this to me!"

The black hedgehog stared at him for a few minutes, then turned away, lip curled and didn't bother to answer. Unseen by him, Sonic grinned broadly, shaking his head. That guy was just too easy.

Next to him, Bait studied Omega curiously, and also somewhat warily.

"He looks the same as any other robot you got. I can't see any problem."

Robotnik snorted. "I built him to cater to my every whim and obey my every command. Instead he eradicates some of my best machinery and tries to kill me...and you don't call that a problem?" Glancing at Shadow, he added, "If he listens to you, tell him to stop pointing those weapons at me."

Shadow fixed him with a cool stare. "I take orders from no one, doctor, including you." Taking out the Chaos Emerald, he backed off until the back of his leg made contact with Omega's armour.

"It's been fun," he said, in tones which made it crystal clear it hadn't, "but this is where I get off." He held up the Emerald in one hand, grabbing Omega with the other. "Chaos Control!"

There was a vivid flash of light and when it cleared Shadow and Omega were both gone.

"You coulda taken us with you!" Sonic shouted after them.

"I believe they did," Robotnik remarked pleasantly. "One of you, at any rate. Or haven't you noticed your young charge is missing?"

"Bait?" Sonic stared at him, then spun around, searching the room. There was no sign of the jackal. "Oh man! I'll kill that damn Shadow!"

The doctor chuckled. "I don't believe it was Shadow's fault, Sonic. In fact, if what I saw was right, your jackal friend grabbed onto Omega before Chaos Control was completed."

"Raker." Suddenly, it was horribly clear to Sonic and he glanced up at Robotnik. "Bait's gone after Shadow. He thinks I'd stop any attempt at revenge on his part here."

"Well, he has a point," Robotnik pointed out. "In any case, I wouldn't worry about Bait." A grin appeared on his face. "You alone in my fortress...dear me, this is just like old times, isn't it?"

Sonic eyed him warily, Bait temporarily forgotten in the face of his own predicament.

"I guess your letting me go is out of the question, huh?"

Robotnik's grin broadened. "Oh Sonic, why would I do that? We didn't have much of a chance to catch up with those jackals on board, so I plan to make up for lost time." He steepled his fingers together, regarding the hedgehog over the tips. "Now. I have a few questions that I didn't get a chance to ask last time, and if you cooperate I may be persuaded to kill you quickly."

Sonic folded his arms, the action and cocky grin on his face covering the fact that his heart was pounding fit to burst through his chest.

"If you can catch me, Robuttnik."

"That's something of a moot point, Sonic. You're already trapped on my fortress, and even you have to sleep sometime. All I need to do is wait."

"I got a better idea, doc. How about you close your eyes and count to ten silently, and when you open 'em I'll show you my famous disappearing trick."

To his astonishment, Robotnik smiled and said, "Why not?" He covered his eyes with both hands, the gesture so theatrical that Sonic failed to notice him press a button on his chair beforehand.

Not entirely sure what was going on, but not about to waste this opportunity, Sonic spun on his heel and bolted down the nearest corridor, heading for his half of the ship. There were more than a few airlocks; he could jump out of one and take his chances.

Several vividly red beams of light flashed into vision and Sonic skidded to a stop, staring as they made their way towards him.

_Lasers._ The realisation came out of nowhere. The lasers stretched from floor to ceiling; all he could do was go back the way he'd come.

Before he'd so much as turned, the door slammed shut and there was the _chunk_ of bolts sliding across followed by a clanking sound as metal shutters locked into place on the outside of the windows, plunging the corridor into darkness. For long moments, all Sonic could see were the lasers coming towards him, then the corridor lights flickered on and he glanced sideways at one of the windows. Could he spin through? Probably, although it would take time, time he didn't have; the lasers were almost halfway to him as it was.

Breaking into a run, Sonic headed for a corridor off to the left.There was an airlock down it – the same one he'd jettisoned Raker's body out of – perhaps he could use that.

Screeching to a halt outside, he pounded hard on the suddenly unresponsive button to open the airlock, punching it over and over again.

"C'mon you asshole! Open up already!"

"You're wasting your time, hedgehog." Robotnik's voice drifted out of nowhere, sounding oddly tinny and distorted. "The airlock's designed to respond only to me."

The hedgehog glanced up, addressing the ceiling for want of any other visual prop. "Yeah? So what do you say, doc? Open sesame?"

"Nice try, Sonic. But in this case it wouldn't do you any good even if you could open it. You see..."

Another clanking sound resounded through the ship, and one of the shutters lifted to reveal an expanse of sparkling blue below.

Sonic stared down. They were over the _ocean_? The Egg Carrier was flying low enough for him to survive the drop, but...into _water_?

A hum from the end of the corridor informed him that the lasers had caught up with him, cutting off his passage back into the rest of the ship, and Sonic glanced from the window to the lasers and back to the window again.

He hesitated before hurling himself through it, but not for long.

--

_Where the hell am I?_

Shadow didn't know. He couldn't see anything; he seemed to be standing in nothing but blueness.

Carefully he raised a hand in front of his eyes. Nothing. Had Chaos Control somehow gone wrong? Had he been trapped between places? Shadow didn't think it was possible – Chaos Control was, as far as he knew, instant – but if it wasn't, then what had happened to him?

"Omega? You there?"

"Affirmative." There was a clanking sound and something hard and metallic brushed against Shadow's arm.

"Tell me that was you, or I'm going to start Chaos Blasting."

"It was me."

Shadow started to take a step forward, then stopped. He couldn't see where he was putting his foot, and there was no way he was taking the chance of wandering blindly off a cliff.

"Do you know where we are?"

"Approximate coordinates similar to that of Westside Island. I think we landed somewhere in the far north."

Shadow glanced around. To other Mobians, being blinded by thick blue smoke was terrifying. To Shadow, now he knew for certain that he was somewhere on the world and not stuck in a strange sort of limbo, it was merely irritating as hell.

"Do something about this fog, will you?"

"What?" Omega asked reasonably.

"I don't know. What is it?"

"Sensors indicate some form of chemical smoke capable of causing permanent brain damage. Symptoms may include excessive mood swings and eventual degeneration into a trigger-happy lunatic who revels in causing wanton destruction and loss of life. In your case, there is a statistical probability that these symptoms may go undiagnosed."

Shadow folded his arms, the gesture unfortunately lost in the mist. "For your information, Omega, I have never suffered from mood swings."

"Acknowledged." There was a pause, then Omega said, "Although you do seem to show a liking for destroying lives and property."

"Wrong again. I don't _like_ doing things like that. I just don't mind it. Now get rid of this fog before that changes!"

There was a whirring noise, then Omega said, "Affirmative. Cooling systems engaged."

"What good's that going to—" Shadow began, then broke off as the fog started to disperse in a circle around him and Omega, revealing the giant fan currently on the end of one arm.

"How do you do that?" Shadow asked eventually.

"All E-series robots were created with various accessories to enrich the life of their creator." Omega paused before adding, "I am equipped with cooling fans, various holographic projectors and audio playback facilities. And an ice maker."

"You could have told me about that one back on Venus," Shadow muttered. Black wasn't a good colour to be in extreme temperatures.

"You never asked." Omega looked around at their surroundings and Shadow followed suit.

It wasn't much. In fact, Shadow thought that the blue mist had probably been more interesting, or at the very least more colourful.

They were standing on a protruding rock shelf, about six feet by eighteen. It really was a good thing he _hadn't _stepped forward, Shadow thought grimly; the ground (a kind of greyish swamp by the looks of it) was a long way down. He could see the brilliant blue sky above them – or maybe that was just more mist – and across from them was a sheer rock face.

_We're in some kind of chasm._

Well, that much at least could be dealt with. They could Chaos Control up to the top without too much trouble, and from there they could make their way out.

Omega, who had been looking in the opposite direction, suddenly said, "Shadow!"

"What?" Following the robot's pointing finger, the hedgehog felt his jaw drop. "_How_ the...?"

"He made physical contact during Chaos Control. Intentionally."

Shadow stared at the curled up Bait, irritation warring with a desire to take Omega and leave the troublesome jackal behind.

Irritation won, but it was close. Stalking over, Shadow nudged him with a foot, not hard, but not particularly gently either.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he demanded.

Bait struggled to his feet, glaring at the black hedgehog. "What d'you _think_?"

"If it's about your brother, I thought we'd settled that."

The jackal's glare intensified. "Yeah, well, you're wrong! Sonic dint want me to fight with you back on the ship but he ain't here an' you still murdered my brother!"

"So you're planning to fight me here, beat me and then go trotting back to Sonic victorious?"

"You got it." There was a slight tremor in Bait's voice. It was easy to be bold and defiant all the time he'd known Sonic wouldn't let it get to the point of actual combat. Now it looked like a fight might definitely be on the cards, he found he didn't much like the idea of taking on Shadow.

As though he could read his mind, Shadow sighed, then turned and started walking back to Omega. "Don't waste my time. I told you; I don't fight cubs. Besides, you don't really want to fight me. You just think you do because you want to prove you're missing your brother."

Watching Shadow take out the Chaos Emerald, Bait swallowed.

"How'm I s'posed to get outta here?"

The black hedgehog didn't turn around as he answered, "That's your problem, jackal. Considering I'm pretty much your only ticket out, and considering I'm not much inclined to help you, it looks like you're stuck here."

Bait darted forward, intending to bar Shadow's way, but the side of the cliff crumbled and spilled him sideways. With a loud yelp, he clutched at the first thing he could lay his hands on; in this case, Shadow's arm. Grabbing tightly, Bait hung there for long moments, feet scrabbling for a purchase as Shadow stood there, neither hindering nor helping the jackal. To Bait's surprise, the black hedgehog allowed him to use his body as a kind of crude ladder, not even objecting when Bait put his entire weight on Shadow's shoulder, inadvertently kicking him in the leg as he struggled for a foothold.

As soon as Bait was safely back on the ledge, Shadow withdrew his support and moved away, causing the jackal to fall forward onto his hands and knees.

"As I was saying," he remarked, "looks like you're stuck here."

Bait scrambled to his feet. "Okay. If I let you live, d'you promise to get me outta here?"

"If _you_ let _me_ live!" Astonishment coloured Shadow's voice, temporarily robbing him of speech as he stared at the obstinate jackal, then abruptly he laughed. It seemed like the only possible response. "You'd do better to bargain for your own life, cub, never mind mine." He paused, then leaned against the rock wall; the jackal's narrow escape had told him that this ledge wasn't the safest place to be. "You want to talk deals? I'll make you a deal, and I'm only doing this because I know what you're going through. I'll get you off this ledge and out of this Zone, then I'll Chaos Control you to any Zone on Mobius you choose. In return, you'll forget any insane thoughts of avenging your brother on me."

Bait shook his head, arms folded. "You get me off this ledge an' mebbe I'll go easy on you!"

Shadow sighed. So much for the reasonable approach.

Lunging, he seized Bait by the arms and spun, dangling the jackal over the sheer drop.

"Oh, I'll get you off this ledge, jackal," he said quietly. "One way or another. You still think you can take me?"

When Bait swallowed and didn't seem able to answer, Shadow added, "Chaos Control!"

In a heartbeat, they were surrounded by blue mist again; only the solid feel of the ground underneath Bait's feet and Shadow's hard grip on his arms told him he was still there.

"Omega!"

Bait tensed; was the hedgehog ordering the robot to kill him?

He got his answer a few minutes later; there was a humming sound and he realised that Shadow had simply wanted the mist cleared and relaxed slightly.

"Right." Shadow released him and stepped away, leaving Bait to rub the bruised flesh tenderly. "Now get out of here, jackal, before I change my mind."

Bait folded his arms stubbornly. "I can't see through this mist stuff. An' I tole you, I ain't leavin'. Not 'til we settle this."

"Do you seriously believe that _you_ can beat me?" Shadow had asked Bait this exact question on the Egg Carrier, but back then it had been rhetorical, almost derogatory. Now, though, he was genuinely curious. Either the jackal was running on pure emotion and one too many movies, or – however unlikely it seemed – he knew something Shadow didn't.

"Course," Bait said, although Shadow noted the jackal seemed unable to meet his eyes. He was beginning to see there was no way out bar agreeing to fight the jackal, and that was something he'd been hoping to avoid at all costs. He didn't want Bait's blood on his hands; Shadow prided himself on the fact that he'd never killed a kid, and he didn't intend to start now.

"Alright," he said abruptly.

Bait froze. "W-what?"

"I said alright. Fighting me won't bring your brother back. But if you think it'll make you feel better, then fine." Shadow spun away. "Let's fight. First one to die or fall into the blue mist loses." He lowered his body, dropping into a flawlessly classic martial arts stance. In fact it was a bluff – Shadow knew about as much martial arts as he did Swahili – but it had the desired effect; Bait hesitated and edged back slightly.

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Unless, of course, you've changed your mind?"

The jackal took one or two deep breaths, then shook his head vigorously and broke into a sudden run, clearly hoping that the abruptness of the movement would catch Shadow off guard.

Shadow sighed, waited until Bait was almost on him and then stepped calmly, almost delicately, to one side. He spun in the same move, following the jackal's progress as Bait's own momentum carried him past.

Skidding to a stop, Bait whirled, glaring.

"No fair usin' Chaos Control!"

Shadow sighed again. He was beginning to wonder if sparing Bait was really worth it.

"I don't need Chaos Control to dodge you, cub."

Bait snorted. "You're jus' gonna blast me like you did Raker."

The black hedgehog raised an eye ridge. "No I'm not. This is going to be enough of a walkover for me without the Chaos Emerald, never mind with it. But if it makes you feel better, here." He tossed the Chaos Emerald to Omega. "Now we're even. Or to put it more accurately, now I don't have a Chaos Emerald."

Bait's eyes gleamed; clearly he felt he was in with far more of a chance. "You better get ready. I'm gonna beat you so hard you'll be pissin' blood for a week!"

"Really?" Shadow circled away from Bait, eyes never leaving his face. "Tell me something, kid; I'm curious. How did it make you feel when your brother said things like that to you? Did it feel so good you wanted to pass it on to other people?"

The jackal seemed to shrivel up as Shadow's words hit home, and hit hard at that.

"Raker's dead," Shadow added coolly. "That doesn't mean you have to replace him. The world's better off without him and that's not an insult, kid; that's solid fact."

"He was my brother." It was clear from Bait's demeanour that the jackal believed Shadow's words, even agreed with them, but he was struggling desperately not to.

"Let me get this straight," Shadow remarked as he dodged another of Bait's blind rushes, this time by jumping neatly over him. "This would be the brother who – by your own admission – locked you in a cage and dumped you for almost a week, starved you on a regular basis, turned you into a punching bag whenever he was angry, upset, frustrated or just plain bored, am I right?" When Bait didn't answer, he continued. "And you want to _avenge_ his death? If it was me, I'd be breaking out the champagne and party hats right about now."

The thought of Shadow in a party hat was so strange, so alien that for a long moment Bait stopped stock still and stared. Shadow, thinking that Bait might have given up on the idea of fighting, turned away.

He picked up the sound of running footsteps in more than enough time to dodge, but something held him in place.

_Let's end this_. The thought came unbidden to Shadow and he stood there, relaxed and waiting. Let the jackal get a blow in, if he thought it would make him feel better.

It wasn't until Bait was almost on him that Shadow suddenly considered the possibility that the jackal might have a knife or something similar, and he spun so quickly that the motion was barely visible. Seeing it, Bait tried to slam on the brakes but it was too late; for the second time, his own momentum carried him forward and practically into Shadow's arms with enough force to bring both of them crashing down.

Shadow was on his feet first, lip curled as he stared down at the jackal, who was trying to push himself upright and failing; his left wrist seemed injured.

"Was that the best strategy you could come up with, jackal? Let me show you how it's _really_ done."

It was so fast Bait didn't even have time to register the fact that Shadow had moved, much less dodge before he was flying through the air from a kick that felt like it had come from a hovercar. In fact, from Shadow's point of view it was little more than a light tap – if he'd hit Bait with even a quarter of his power, the jackal would have been killed – but it was hard enough to daze Bait and make him lose interest in fighting with Shadow.

"There," Shadow said tersely. "We've had our fight, you've tried to avenge your brother, whatever. Now take a hike."

Spinning on his heel, he strode back towards Omega.

Bait lay there, crumpled around the splintered pain in his body. Letting him live was almost worse than finishing him off; it was like Shadow was telling him he wasn't even worth killing.

"Shadow?" His voice was barely audible and he coughed several times, tried again. "Shadow!"

It was almost a plea. The black hedgehog paused, then turned.

"What?"

Bait swallowed, forcing himself to his feet and clinging to a dead tree for support. Breathing was painful and he realised Shadow's blow had probably broken a few ribs.

"Dunt leave me like this. Please."

Shadow stared at him for a few seconds, his face unreadable.

"Perhaps you fail to understand the situation. I didn't exactly invite you, cub; you hijacked me, picked a fight with me and then tried to kill me, and in my book that gives me licence to leave you how and when I damn well please."

Bait swallowed, his tough-guy façade deserting him. Now he looked like what he was; a frightened kid stranded a long way from home.

"I heard stories 'bout this place, Shadow. Even if you're gonna kill me, I'd rather be with you than on my lonesome."

The black hedgehog folded cold arms across his chest. He'd been unusually patient with the jackal, but that patience was rapidly wearing thin.

"Get this into your head, jackal; I am not going to kill you. You wanted to fight so badly, fine. We fought, you lost...not that there was ever any doubt of that," he added.

"You cheated!"

"_You_ were the one who attacked from behind," Shadow pointed out. "I'm many things, kid, most of which are considered unrepeatable in polite society, but I've never been a bully."

"Them humans dint think so."

"I'll tell you something about humans; they change with the wind. When I took over, it was _oh good, Shadow doesn't do some of the things Cage did_ along with _oh damn, Shadow does some things Cage didn't_. For the person who came after me, it's going to be _well, he's okay, but Shadow wouldn't have done that_." Shadow shook his head. "And I'll say this; although I hated every minute of that job, I was damn good at it. You tried to kill me to avenge your brother and you failed. Why are you so determined to press the issue?"

"He woulda wanted me to kill you." There was little conviction in Bait's tone now; reason and mercy – however coldly and distantly offered – were two things he hadn't expected, least of all from Shadow.

"That's nothing more than your opinion. Tell me something else; if I'd killed you instead of him, do you think he'd be the one hellbent on revenge?" Shadow paused to give Bait time to answer and then, when the jackal remained silent, raised both eye ridges. "No?"

Bait folded his arms. "I ain't him, though!"

Shadow smiled slightly, humourlessly. "Then stop trying to be. Like I said earlier, no matter what you try to do to me, nothing's going to bring your brother back." Leaning against a dead tree, he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Alright, perhaps he would have wanted you to kill me. He would also have wanted you to start terrorising other people, people who never did you or him any harm. Are you going to do that too?" When Bait didn't answer, Shadow pressed on. "Don't copy someone else's screwups, kid. You'll have more than enough of your own to contend with, and if that's not enough to convince you, how about this? You think you could look into Sonic's eyes when he comes to stop you?"

The mention of Sonic punctured Bait's zeal completely, as Shadow had known it would.

"Why dint you kill me?" he asked almost plaintively. "You killed Raker when he dint do nothin' to you 'cept get in your way, so why dint you kill me after everythin' that's jus' happened? It's not like you like me like Sonic."

Shadow shrugged. "No, I don't like you. I also don't kill people without a much better reason than they've let their emotions run away with them. Like I told Omega, if I went around killing everyone who did that, I'd never stop. Your brother's death was…unfortunate."

"Yeah," Bait mumbled. "Least I knew if Sonic ditched me I could go back to him. Now what'm I s'posed to do."

Shadow rolled his eyes, enlightened but unimpressed. "Oh, so _that's_ what this is about. You're not angry with me for killing your brother; you're angry at me for taking out the only other person beside that blue hedgehog who you knew you could depend upon for food and shelter."

"That's a lie!" Pain temporarily forgotten, Bait surged forward, only to trip headlong over Shadow's suddenly outstretched foot and sprawl hard on his broken ribs with a loud yelp of pain.

"You're trying my patience," Shadow informed him icily.

Somehow finding the strength to get back to his feet – although the world spun dizzily around him – Bait flattened his ears. "What're you gonna do with me?"

Shadow blinked. "Why should I do anything with you? If I were you, I'd start looking for that blue hedgehog. He'll do more for you than I will."

"He wants Tails, not me. I ain't gonna get in the way again; I'm gonna go away until they both forgotten me."

Shadow rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "You sold one into slavery and spent most of the intervening time hurling accusations or hugs at the other. Whether they like or hate you, I wouldn't like to say, but neither of them are going to forget you in a hurry."

Judging from Bait's expression, this wasn't much of a comfort. Well, screw him, Shadow thought, and turned away. He'd done far more than that jackal had a right to expect from him; anyone else who provoked the hedgehog so much would have been dead long ago.

"Shadow, wait! Please!"

"Don't waste my time begging," Shadow told Bait over his shoulder, "it only irritates me."

Throwing caution to the winds, the jackal lunged forward and seized Shadow's arm, halting him. "You gotta lemme come with you, jus' until we find Sonic again. _Please_!"

Shadow waited until he was sure Bait wasn't going to say anything else, then pulled his arm out of the jackal's grasp.

"No," he said calmly, and walked away.

**Heh. Maybe not much of a fight in terms of suspense but c'mon, you really think Bait could have beaten Shadow? Next up...did the puggle survive? ;) In the meantime, if you read this one, please review!**


	21. Friends in Low Places

**Trixie: Thanks :D Yeah, I love Omega too...he was my favourite character in _Sonic Heroes_**

**Asher Tye: It certainly looks that way...;)**

**Maverick87: Now THAT's a good idea :P Bait bombing Shadow...ooh boy :D And thanks, glad you enjoyed it :D**

**Forgotten Muse: Yeah, talk about a miscalculation :P Guess Chaos Control isn't as easy as it looks ;)**

**Awdures: Thanks :) And...yeah, I guess there is a kind of theme :P**

**D.C.111: Yep :P As for what's going to happen...you'll find out soon ;)**

**KR. Mitchell: (blushes) Thanks; I'm glad you liked it :D As for whether Sonic and Bait are going to meet again...maybe, maybe not ;)**

**Taranea: (laughs) Oh man! I never even thought of having Sonic land on top of Shadow :D (blushes again) And thanks; I love writing Shadow :P And I think you're right; it'd make a pretty cool picture :D**

**Milette Tails Prower: Thanks :) Shadow's an interesting kind of character...like you say, he's neither one thing nor the other :P**

_Guardian's Log no. 11502_

_I've failed._

_I've never had to write that before, or even admit to it, but it's true. I came down here to get a replacement for the Master Emerald and rescue my sister, and I screwed it up on both counts._

_--Knuckles the Echidna_

_Dear Diary_

_I managed to get Espio out the tunnels! Now all I gotta do is go back for Knux and his sister! I saw ol' Scarface hit her on the head with a pickaxe. I hope she's okay._

_--Tails_

Knuckles lunged forward, but Scarface was already gone; he'd vanished immediately after striking the puggle, and the echidna didn't believe he was stupid enough to hang around.

Carefully, he walked towards the crumpled form of his sister. There was no doubt she was dead; the pickaxe had gone straight through her skull and at least four inches into the brain. For a moment Knuckles was sorely tempted to yank it out, then he decided against it.

_His sister_...

What was her name? Knuckles had never asked. Now he'd never know either.

The sound of someone approaching him cautiously from behind snapped the echidna back to reality and he tensed. If they thought they could just grab him like your average Mobian, they were in for one hell of a surprise.

Hands curled into fists, entire body shaking slightly, Knuckles turned to face his would-be assailants.

"Alright." The word was barely intelligible, snarled out through clenched teeth. "Who's first?"

---

Tails dropped to the ground, panting for breath, then looked around him and tried to figure out where he was. The heat was intense; cloying and humid, and there were too many scents in the air for him to isolate one. Dark green foliage surrounded him on all sides, so thickly clustered it was hard to tell where one plant ended and the next began.

The fox flattened his ears, for once unsure what to do. He couldn't leave Espio here – the chameleon needed help – but he couldn't abandon Knuckles to the tunnels either.

Maybe he could rig up some kind of sling. Tails looked up to where numerous vines were strung between the trees, some as thick as his arm, and shook his head. No, he had no way to cut them and by the time he managed to break them, Espio's arm would probably have healed on its own. Gnawing through the vines was out too; Tails was no botanist by anyone's standards, but even he knew better than to bite into strange plants, especially in the jungle.

Which jungle was this? And how was he supposed to help both Espio _and_ Knuckles?

A sound drew the fox's attention to his left, although he couldn't see what had caused it. Even as he watched, an area of moss on a fallen log was depressed into the shape of a footprint.

Tails hesitated, then took a deep breath. He didn't think Espio would ever forgive him for what he was about to do, but there was nothing else for it.

Turning to where he'd seen the moss sinking, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "HEY YOU!"

No response. The fox scowled at the area. "I know you're around! I saw you make a footprint in the moss! Espio's hurt an' he needs help! If you don't want me to see you, I'll look away and let you take him, but you can't _leave_ him like this!"

Nothing. Tails turned away, heart hammering. He didn't know much about chameleons, but what little he did know – ie, a lot of them treated non-chameleons with a distrust that bordered on xenophobic at times – wasn't exactly reassuring.

When two or three minutes had gone by without any sound or response, Tails rolled his eyes. Typical!

Turning around, he came face to face with a strange chameleon and leapt back reflexively with a startled yelp.

"Did you say Espio?"

Tails nodded vigorously. "Uh huh. And you gotta help him 'cause I don't know where I am and I don't know how to get him back to Scrap Brain Zone and—"

"You're in the Jungle Zone. As far as Scrap Brain goes, you can put him on the cable car; there's a station two miles away. It's a four hour journey, but it's the fastest way to get him there."

"Four _hours_?" Hopes of dumping Espio into Mighty's care and rushing back to help Knuckles died as Tails slumped against the tree. He hadn't realised Scarface had dragged them that far through the tunnels. How long had they been out?

The chameleon hesitated, reticence clearly battling curiosity, then he said, "What happened to him?"

"He was fighting in the tunnels and ol' Scarface broke his arm," Tails said, not quite accurately.

"The tunnels?" There was a sudden hard light in the chameleon's eyes that made Tails uneasy. "You're from down there?" He nodded towards the barely visible cave opening.

Tails hesitated. "I guess..."

To his dismay, the chameleon folded his arms and said, "In that case, you're on your own. Why don't you go back where you came from?"

The fox glared at him, dismay giving way to exasperation. "What d'you think I'm _trying_ to do? Espie was trying to rescue Knux's sister, only ol' Scarface hit her with a pickaxe. Espie's gotta get to a hospital and you gotta help him 'cause he's a chameleon like you, and I thought chameleons were loyal to each other." Tails paused for breath. "Please," he added hopefully.

"Leave it." Espio's voice was hoarse, but audible. "He won't help us. You're wasting your time asking him." Pushing himself to his feet, gasping as pain tore through his arm, the chameleon leaned against a tree for support and jerked his head at Tails. "I'll head for the station by myself. I'll be fine. Go and get Knuckles before someone plugs him with another tranquilliser."

The mention of Knuckles convinced Tails, who spun abruptly and leapt back down the shaft, both namesakes spinning rapidly as he hovered in midair, scanning the rocks for a sign of the echidna.

He wasn't hard to spot, Tails realised. Knuckles was in the centre of a ring of bodies, not all of them fully conscious.

Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Tails dived towards the echidna, seizing him under the arms and struggling to gain back the height he'd just lost. He was vaguely aware of shouts, and of something (several somethings, in fact) whizzing past him close enough to ruffle his fur, but not close enough to do any real damage.

There was no sign of anyone when he and Knuckles finally burst into the sun. Either Espio had managed to cover a good amount of distance already, or more likely he'd vanished and was probably watching them even now.

"Knux!" Tails dropped the echidna the six feet to the ground, then flew down to land next to him. "Are you okay?"

Knuckles stared at him for a long moment as though trying to place him, then nodded once. "Yeah. Fine."

He didn't look it, Tails thought worriedly. Physically the echidna seemed fine, but there was a slight dullness in his gaze that the fox really didn't like.

"Knux, we gotta get to Scrap Brain. There's a cable station a couple miles away; we just gotta follow the path and we'll find it."

When the echidna didn't immediately spring into action, Tails took off again, flying behind Knuckles and shoving him hard.

"Quit it!" Knuckles ordered, half turning in a vain attempt to swat the fox out of the air. Dodging, Tails folded his arms, the action looking faintly ridiculous in midair.

"We gotta _go_, Knux. Right now. I don't wanna get caught out here and I'm not gonna let you get caught either, so c'mon!"

Before the echidna had a chance to react, Tails had grabbed him again and taken off, flying him some two feet above the ground.

"Alright! Alright, fine! I get the point! Now put me down, kid; I can walk just fine."

Tails set him down a little more gently than before, although he kept a tight hold on Knuckles' arm.

"You're not gonna go back down there, right Knux?"

The coldness in the echidna's expression took him aback and he shifted his weight uneasily.

"There's no point now, is there?" Knuckles said at last.

"I'm sorry," Tails offered. "'Bout what happened to your—"

"Yes. Thankyou." Again, the words were colder than Tails had expected and he fell back a pace or two, confused.

"Knux? Are you okay?"

"Apart from my sister just being murdered by a sadist who just got access to an unlimited source of Chaos matter to do what he wants with?" Knuckles said in one breath. "Yeah, kid, I'm just peachy. How about you?"

When Tails didn't answer immediately, the echidna sighed.

"C'mon," he said in a quieter voice, "we'd better get moving. It's going to be a long walk to that station."

---

Some distance away, and a long way down, Scarface skidded to a halt, gasping for breath. He'd been running flat out for a full ten minutes now, ducking and weaving through the tunnels so much that Knuckles wouldn't have been able to follow even if the chameleon hadn't been camouflaged.

Leaning against a wall, he closed his eyes and waited to get his breath back. He'd registered the presence of two slaves – both talking instead of working – but didn't have the energy to discipline them.

Once he felt stronger, he pushed off from the wall and set off at a jog, heading for an office where he knew he'd find Sekko. It was long past time for a little talk.

The office itself was in fact just a cave, one slightly larger than the others and almost perfectly rectangular in shape, but nowhere near as grand as the name suggested.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said abruptly.

From behind his desk, Sekko raised an eye ridge. "Good call. Will this take long?"

"What was the point of removing that puggle?"

Sekko eyed him coldly. "You had your orders, Lugnor. I would have said they were clear enough."

"Kill the puggle before the other echidna reached it," Scarface reeled off flatly. Without waiting to be invited, he sat down on the edge of the table, crossing both legs at the ankles.

A slight narrowing of the lizard's eye informed him that this was going to be remembered against him later, but Scarface was past caring.

"You found it hard?" Sekko queried.

"I found it...distasteful." Now Scarface sounded as though he was choosing his words with the utmost care. "I'm an overseer, not a damn hitguy. Dealing out the death penalty is one thing. What you had me do was murder. Usually I'm not too bothered about that either, but it's going to spark off riots if it ever gets out and I'm going to be caught in the middle."

"If you're too squeamish to handle the finer points of this job, maybe it's time for a change in occupation," Sekko said, tone dangerous.

Scarface raised an eye ridge. There was no way he could stop being an overseer. Quite apart from the flexibility of the hours and the high pay, he knew far too much for them to let him go and find a job among Mobius' more respectable people. Only Espio had managed that (not that his brother had stayed long enough to rise very far in the overseer hierarchy) and that was only by hiding and severing all contact with everyone he'd ever known.

"Funny," Scarface said pleasantly to Sekko. "I was just thinking the exact same thing."

The blow was so clean and fast that Sekko didn't register it, thought that Scarface was preparing some odd form of attack. It wasn't until the unnatural warmth drew his gaze down to see the blood seeping out of his chest that he realised the truth and raised a shocked face.

"My brother's," Scarface said, flourishing the now bloody kunai by way of explanation. "I took the precaution of searching him while he was unconscious. Rather effective, isn't it?"

Sekko stared, bewildered. He'd never viewed the chameleon as a threat; in an odd sort of way, Scarface was the closest thing he had to a friend, although neither of them would ever say the word out loud. Getting stabbed by the chameleon almost felt like betrayal.

"What...?" he managed, before collapsing onto his knees and from there to his face. Scarface didn't answer, didn't react except to move out of arm's reach; he wouldn't have put it past the lizard to hamstring him, even half-dead.

Survival instinct and perhaps an odd sense of propriety stopped Scarface from turning his back on Sekko until the light had died completely from the lizard's one eye, then he smiled slightly.

"It's been fun," he said in matter-of-fact tones, "but like you said, it's time for me to find another job, and unless I'm very much deceived, a vacancy's just come up."

--

Tails looked around him. It was early evening and they were back in the CDA headquarters. Mighty – who seemed to have unofficially taken over Vector's role – had given them rooms for as long as they needed. The room Tails had picked out was small but more than enough for him, containing not only a bed but a large bookshelf and giant beanbag next to it. Unlike the other rooms, there were no pictures on the wall, but the large oval rug in the centre more than made up for the lack.

It was also Knuckles' room, although the echidna hadn't been in it since they'd got back. In fact...Tails frowned. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Knuckles all day and that worried him. Suppose the echidna had some thoughts of revenge?

Scrambling out of his beanbag – something which wasn't as easy as it sounded – Tails replaced his book and padded out the door, searching each room for some trace of Knuckles.

In fact, the echidna was only a few doors down and, although restless, wasn't quite crazy enough to try storming the tunnels singlehandedly.

"You're obsessed," Espio remarked. His arm had been plastered up earlier and thanks to the painkillers, he was in a far better mood than he had been all week. Sighing, he added, "There's no point dwelling on things you can't change."

"If that kid hadn't stopped to argue—" Knuckles began.

"What happened down there was no fault of Tails'," Espio said flatly. "What's the big deal, anyway? You didn't know you had a sister a year ago, and it's not like you got to know her."

Knuckles took a deep breath. "I'm the last of the echidnas. When I die, my race will be extinct."

"Uh huh." Espio raised an eye ridge. "And unless you were planning to have kids with your own sister, rescuing her would have changed...what, exactly?" Reaching out, he somehow managed to change the channel and grab a fistful of peanuts one-handed and almost simultaneously.

Knuckles shook his head, eyes haunted. "You don't know what it's like, Espio. You don't know what it's like to be the only one of your kind."

"I understand more than you might think." Espio changed the channel again and the Zonal News gave way to a turtle naturalist swimming with feral sharks. "How many chameleons do you see on a regular basis? Or if you want an example a little closer to home, how many two-tailed foxes?"

Knuckles got to his feet abruptly, pacing back and forth across the hard red carpet before turning to face Espio again.

"That's just it! Tails is only different from other foxes because of some...some kind of genetic mutation!"

"An extra tail?" Espio drawled. Helping himself to more peanuts, he added, "That's quite some mutation." He shrugged, careful not to spill his food. "But if you want to wallow in self-pity and rant and rave some more, go ahead. There's nothing on TV worth watching."

The echidna tightened his jaw. "Do you _ever_ care about anyone besides yourself?"

A slight smile appeared on Espio's face. "I try not to these days. Sometimes I even succeed."

"You're a big help." Spinning abruptly on his heel, Knuckles stalked out of the living room and into a room none of the CDA used much for the simple reason that it hadn't been decorated or furnished yet. It did, however, offer one of the best views of the Zone along with a raised dais to get a better look and Knuckles stepped onto it, staring at the panorama in front of him without taking any of it in. It was here that Tails found him some ten minutes later.

"Knuckles!" Tails hopped up next to the echidna. "Are you—oh." Ears drooped as Knuckles turned his back on him. "Oh. Okay." He paused, trying to think of something to say. "Knux, I'm real sorry. If we hadn't argued, mebbe ol' Scarface wouldn't've been able to kill your sister before we got to her."

"You're damn straight he wouldn't," Knuckles said tonelessly.

Tails' ears flattened further. It was one thing to believe that he'd let Knuckles down; it was quite another to hear it from the echidna himself.

"You want me to go away?" he asked after the awkward silence between them had stretched out interminably.

"That'd be nice, yeah."

"Okay." Ears drooping, namesakes tucked between his legs, Tails padded forlornly over to the door. Pausing, he turned around. "Knux?"

"What?"

Tails swallowed. "Are you mad at me?"

"What do _you_ think?"

The fox cringed. "I'm real sorry, Knuckles, honest. I jus' wanted to make you proud of me. You know, like you were when I first came out the tunnels. I heard you an' Espie talking and how you thought I couldn't handle it. I wanted to prove you wrong."

Knuckles turned a look on Tails that verged on the dangerous. "My sister – the only other echidna in existence – is lying dead in a tunnel, the people in charge down there are all set to get hold of a limitless supply of power and energy and we lost the replacement Master Emerald, all because _you _wanted to play the damn hero."

Tails flattened his ears and stepped back. "Knux, that's not fair!"

The echidna took a long, deep breath, held it for a few minutes and then expelled it in a sigh.

"You're right, it's not." He shook his head, staring unseeing out of the window at the metropolis beyond. "Just _go_, alright?"

Tails went, taking care to close the door behind him. Despite Knuckles' words, he knew that this was only a temporary thing, that the echidna simply wanted a little space to come to terms with what had happened.

Well, fine. He could deal with that, and when Knux was ready then things would be back to normal again.

He hoped.

"Tails?"

The voice came from behind and Tails turned, coming face to face with Mighty.

"You know he didn't really mean that," the armadillo said quietly.

Tails looked up at him miserably. "But he's right. If he'd gone out, he coulda finished ol' Scarface and then we coulda got his sister out. If I hadn't argued with him..."

"It wasn't your fault, Tails. And Knuckles is honourable, if nothing else. He'll come round, I promise. Just...give him some space, okay?"

In fact, Knuckles was already feeling guilty over the way he'd treated Tails. Although he firmly believed that their debate/argument in the tunnel had slowed him down enough to let Scarface do what he'd planned, he was also honest enough to admit that he'd played his part in it. Tails had done his best.

Still, he couldn't very well apologise to the fox; at least, not yet. The feelings were still too raw inside; if he saw Tails anytime in the near future, Knuckles thought he might say something they'd both regret.

_Yeah. Give it until the morning, then I'll make it up to him._ Part of him thought that Tails might understand; after all, the fox had acted in pretty much the same way after Sonic's supposed death.

Leaning forward onto his elbows, Knuckles stared unseeing at the view. Scrap Brain Zone was at its best – there was a soft rain falling and someone had managed to work out the exact placement of streetlights in order to achieve the maximum rainbow effect – but he was past caring.

"Knuckles?"

The echidna blinked, then half turned to see Espio silhouetted in the doorway and realised how dark it had gotten.

"Espio. Thanks for your help." There was no irony in his tones; he genuinely meant what he was saying. "If it hadn't been for you, I doubt we'd have got as far as we did."

Espio shrugged, the gesture meaning, _Yeah, well._

"I owe you some money, don't I?" Knuckles' voice was vague now, the sound of someone who is currently seeing life through a haze. "Two and a half thousand Mobiums."

The chameleon leaned against the wall and shook his head slightly.

"Forget the money. It doesn't matter, anyway."

"Doesn't..." A frown creased Knuckles' forehead, the first real indication of feeling he'd displayed since coming out the tunnels. "The money doesn't matter?"

"No."

The echidna turned around fully, staring at the chameleon. "Alright. Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Espio?"

"Ha ha." Espio pushed himself off from the wall and came to join Knuckles, staring at the view.

"Do you want something?" Knuckles asked, after a few minutes had gone by in silence.

"Besides you digging that stalagmite out your ass?" Espio shook his head. "Not really. Except to tell you that what happened down there would have happened anyway. Orders."

"Orders?" Knuckles echoed. "What do you mean, _orders_?"

The chameleon hesitated, then sighed. "Alright. I'm only going to say this once, Knuckles. If you mention it to anyone – _anyone_ – I'll deny it until the day I die, but I think you need to know. I was there when your sister was first brought down, and I was there when every overseer got their orders. If anyone – especially an echidna – besides the person who brought her to us came looking for her, whoever got to her first was to kill her. I don't know why. I followed you down that tunnel and as soon as I saw Scarface heading towards the pit, I knew what he was going to do and so I acted." When Knuckles stared at him in silence, Espio added quietly, "There was nothing you could have done. The mines don't just have overseers; that area was covered by snipers."

A hovercar horn blared loudly outside, the noise making both of them jump and startling Knuckles out of his funk.

"You..." he began, then abruptly lunged forward and seized Espio by the arms. "You _knew_? All the time down there and you _knew_ what your asshole of a brother was going to do?"

Espio turned his head away. "I knew someone was going to do it. I just didn't know who, and I didn't see any point in telling you since you were so determined." He shrugged. "Maybe I even hoped that you'd be able to beat the odds and succeed."

Knuckles released the chameleon and turned away. "So we're screwed. I don't have my sister and I don't have a replacement for the Master Emerald either."

He wasn't sure in the darkness, but he thought Espio might have grinned. "I think I can help you with that one, Knuckles. That lump you got out of the Chaos Caves is in Sekko's outer office."

"What?" Knuckles swung round again, jaw hanging. "How..."

Espio flicked a finger. "Never mind that. Sekko's desk – that coiled dragon he was always so damn proud of – is hollow inside. You can lift up the top and retrieve your replacement." He paused. "Or you could just smash your way through it, whichever suits you. You won't be disturbed; I hear Sekko's left that particular premises for a slightly better place. I wouldn't hang around though; once word gets out the place is deserted, looters will probably be on it like bees on a honeypot. See you around, Knuckles."

Turning, he walked towards the door, blending as he stepped through it.

"Yeah," Knuckles muttered, mind reeling. The Master Emerald was in Sekko's office? How the _hell_ had Espio managed to pull that one off?

Well, he supposed it didn't really matter. What was important was that Angel Island would soon be floating peacefully in the skies again.

Knuckles headed out of the room and towards the front door. He could grab the Emerald, get back here with it and then he and Tails could return to Angel Island the next morning.

"Glad to see you're moving again," Mighty remarked as Knuckles drew level with the kitchen. The echidna shifted his weight.

"Yeah, well, seems I'm not the only one."

"I know. I was watching _Shark Bay Mania_, but Espio dozed off and I decided to give him some peace. The doctor said he needed rest."

Knuckles snorted. "Yeah? Maybe you should remind him of that; he and I have just been having a pretty interesting talk."

Mighty frowned. "Espio? That's not possible, Knux; I checked on him two minutes ago and he was out for the count. Those painkillers the doc gave him really pack a punch."

The echidna stared at him, momentarily speechless. "What?"

"See for yourself." Mighty opened the door across the way wide enough for Knuckles to see the chameleon sound asleep on the couch inside.

Knuckles stared at Espio's slumbering form, then at Mighty.

"Then _who_...?" His voice tailed off.

"I dunno," the armadillo said with a shrug, "but whichever chameleon you spoke to, it wasn't Espio. And speaking of which, I better toss a blanket over him if he's going to kip on the couch. I'll see you in the morning, Knux."

He walked into the living room, shutting the door on Knuckles' stunned expression.

**Okay...so that answers that question :) Next chapter's the last one, and it's shaping up to be a pretty long one. Hope you liked this one and if you read, please review!**


	22. Reconciliation

**Kj: Heh :P**

**Pyro Hedgehog4Ever: Thanks :) As for which chameleon it was...that'll be cleared up for definite at some point ;)**

**Maverick87: (blushes) Thanks, glad you're enjoying it so much :D Guardian's Choice...oh man, yeah, I better do something about that one. There's only one more chapter of it to come, but so far it's not really coming :(**

**Asher Tye: I think you hit it pretty much on the head ;) And thanks :D**

**D.C.111: Heh, thanks :P **

**Taranea: Oh yes, there is a sequel ;) As for the rest…well, this chapter kind of ties up some loose ends (in some cases not before time :P) **

**Matt Lans: Yeah :) As for Knux's sister...I did think about it when I first started this one, but somehow it just wouldn't have worked :(**

**Awdures: Thanks :D**

**MCM: Yeah, what indeed:P I'm sure Knuckles would agree with that. Besides, neither he nor Tails knew what was going to happen...**

_My Memoirs by Me_

_This is SO not good! Shadow and Omega have taken Bait prisoner and if that wasn't enough, I'm now plummeting into the ocean! Maybe the lasers would have been a better bet._

_--Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Bait's Jurnal_

_Got outta that mist stuff, now foloeing Shaddoe. If I can get his Caos Emruld, I can get back to Sonic. I seen Shaddoe do Caos Controle befor. Looks easy._

_--Bait the Jakkel_

The shock as he hit the water stunned Sonic and water rushed into his eyes and mouth, flooding his nose. Panicking, he started thrashing around wildly, coughing and sputtering and only succeeded in driving his head further under the water.

He was just on the verge of thinking that he'd been better off in Robotnik's fortress when something hard and rubbery bumped him from underneath, then rose up, supporting the hedgehog's body.

_A dolphin_! Sonic laughed, partly in relief and partly in pure exhilaration. Around him, he could see several more dolphins leaping and playing. One flung itself a full ten feet into the air before coming down with a splash that drenched the hedgehog completely. Another – the same one that had just bumped him – swam past and turned, and Sonic was presented with a dorsal fin. Grabbing onto it, he found himself being towed rapidly through the water towards what looked like a cluster of brown-green mountains.

_Tablebacks_! The hedgehog grinned broadly. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

A few seconds later, he changed his mind as the dolphin he was clinging onto abruptly dived underwater, taking Sonic with it. There was a sensation of rapid movement (Sonic had squeezed his eyes shut and couldn't see what was going on) followed by a brief, surprising period of weightlessness. The fin slid out from under his hand, and Sonic hit the ground seconds later. His eyes snapped open, revealing that the dolphin had somehow managed to catapult him onto the nearest tableback and a slow smile spread across his face, an expression of pure relief and exhilaration.

"Thanks." Most oceanic Mobians could understand land speech, and even if these couldn't, or were ferals, Sonic felt he had to say something. "I owe you guys. Big time. Uh." He spread his hands out to the side. "I'm sorry. I got nothing I can give you."

The pod chittered at him amiably, then turned and swam away. Sonic stood on the edge of the platform, watching until they were out of sight, and then took a look around his new home.

Intentionally or not, the dolphins had towed him to a turtle that was carrying buildings in surprisingly good condition and Sonic stuck his head inside each one curiously. There wasn't much – whoever had lived there had taken their belongings with them – but the roof was still intact and it was cooler inside. Admittedly being surrounded by water wasn't the hedgehog's idea of a good time, but at least the turtles wouldn't submerge themselves completely.

He wasn't unduly concerned about getting off either. Tablebacks were a global tourist attraction; there'd be a boat along soon enough and he could get a ride back to dry land. In the meantime, he'd kick back and catch some rays; it seemed a damn long time since he'd just relaxed and done nothing.

Sonic didn't know exactly how long he'd been there, only that it was sometime late the following morning when the white hull of a boat drifted past his turtle. With a slight pang of regret – water notwithstanding, living on a turtle's shell was pretty cool – Sonic measured the distance carefully, then raced forward and leapt. There was no telling when another ride would come along so conveniently; the two boats he'd seen before this one had been too far away for him to reach.

Landing on the boat's railing, he ground his way around until he came upon a family of young skunks. Skidding to a stop, he waved, grinning broadly.

"Hi! Where're you guys headed?"

There was a somewhat stunned silence, then the mother said, "Scrap Brain. We're on our way back from our vacation."

Sonic's grin widened. "Perfect! Mind if I tag along? I promise not to eat all your chilli dogs."

The parents exchanged looks, then the father said, "Well...yeah, if you want."

"Cool!" Sonic leapt neatly down onto the deck. "Man, am I glad to be off that tableback! Water's really not me, you know?"

"S-Sonic?"

Glancing down, Sonic saw the biggest of the skunk kits had been pushed forward by the other three as a spokesperson and he dropped to one knee with a grin.

"Hey kids. What's up?"

There was a whispered conversation along the lines of, "You ask him." "No, _you_!" before the kit cleared his throat.

"We were wondering..." he began nervously.

"Yeah?" Sonic prompted after a few minutes had gone by in silence.

"Well...we got one of your comics from one of the other kids only we couldn't get the next one and find out what happened so...um..."

The hedgehog's grin broadened. "Say no more." He'd long since given up trying to explain to people that the things that happened to him in the comic weren't real and was a lot more laid back about them than he'd been when they'd first appeared. Besides, talking about this might help take his mind off the water surrounding him. "What do you want to know?"

"How'd you escape after Robotnik turned you into a mosquito?"

"After Robotnik turned me into a mosquito?" Sonic echoed. He had to admit, whoever wrote those comics had one hell of a vivid imagination. "Well...you're gonna have to refresh my memory a little on _that_ one, kids. How'd I get turned into a mosquito?"

More conferring, then the kit said, "Robotnik forced the waitress at Chilli-Dogs-R-We to put the mosquito formula in your sauce."

"Oh, that's right, now I remember." Sonic settled down on the floor, mind racing frantically. "C'mon down here and I'll tell you."

The smallest kit opened his mouth, shut it again and then whispered something into the ear of its nearest sibling.

"He wants to know if he can touch your spikes," the older skunk translated.

Sonic blinked, slightly taken aback by this abrupt change in topic. "Sure you can. Just watch the edges, okay kiddo? They're sharp."

A small hand touched one of his upper quills, rubbing it inquisitively and finally becoming bold enough to move down to one of the smaller quills further down Sonic's back.

"Right," Sonic said aloud, shifting his weight in an effort to stop the now too-curious skunk from slicing its own fingers off. "So before I begin, what are all your names?"

"I'm Diver," the oldest bragged, "an' that's Speedy an' Scratch an' Stripe, only we all call Stripe Stinky 'cause he's too young to control his scent glands prop'ly yet!"

Sonic's expression froze momentarily and he glanced down at the smallest kit, who had stopped exploring his quills and was now snuggling contentedly into his ribs. "Really?"

A concerted nod from all four of them.

"Yeah!" Scratch grinned broadly. "Once he even sprayed the teacher an' we all had to go home for the rest of the day _an'_ we got a substitute for the rest of the week!"

"What, on purpose?"

"Er..." Scratch rubbed the side of his snout as he considered. "I dunno. Stinky says it wasn't, but me an' the others think it was."

Sonic shrugged. "Hey, I used to hang out with a skunk who did it on purpose. He used it as an excuse to get out of a test at school."

Three pairs of big eyes stared at him.

"You went to _school_?" Diver said at last.

"Sure I did, for about as long as it took me to read and write. I quit when I was seven, though. Sometimes I kinda wonder how things would've panned out if I hadn't."

"You _quit_ _school_?"

Sonic, who had had plenty of experience in cub mentality thanks to his time with Tails, raised an eye ridge. "That doesn't mean _you_ should. I didn't have a family like yours to make sure I went every day." _At least, not after I turned seven_, he added wryly to himself. He'd made his somewhat dramatic exit through the kitchen window of Mighty's home shortly after that birthday and never gone back except for the odd meal.

"I wanna hear the story," Stinky piped up suddenly. Sonic grinned down at the little skunk.

"Yeah, you're right; we're getting sidetracked. Okay. So...after Robotnik turned me into a mosquito, he had one of his robots capture me—" the kits gasped in unison, eyes huge— "and take me into a swamp. Once I was there, I made friends with the other mosquitos and they agreed to help me find a cure, so they all flew off to different parts of Mobius and brought back what I needed."

"What did you need?" Scratch interrupted.

"Leopard fur, eye of newt, chocolate buttons, two cans of soda – one diet, one regular – and a fishcake," Sonic reeled off glibly, not missing a beat. "Anyway, they poured all this into a hollow tree stump and I dived in and I was myself again."

This time simultaneous sighs of relief ran through the group.

"So what then?" Speedy wanted to know.

Scratch rolled his eyes. "He went and kicked Robotnik's butt, duh!"

"Yeah, you got that right," Sonic agreed easily.

"What'd he say when he saw you standing there?" Diver asked.

The hedgehog hesitated. Even now he didn't feel comfortable putting words into Robotnik's mouth. Granted he would be hard-pressed to come up with anything more trite and/or cliché than the stuff in the comics, but even so...

"Take a guess," he said aloud.

The four kits piped up at once, all clamouring to be heard over the other, and this very quickly degenerated into a contest between them as to who could invent the coolest dialogue. Temporarily forgotten, Sonic extricated himself and went to join the parents at the railings. Leaning back, he grinned at the group – who were now reenacting the battle of Sonic Vs. Robotnik with appropriate dialogue and sound effects – and shook his head wryly.

"Man, they're cute when they're that age."

"That wasn't true, was it?" the mother said suddenly in an undertone.

"What, the whole my rallying the mosquito masses to my aid thing? Not a word of it," Sonic answered cheerfully. "But then neither was Robotnik's turning me into a mosquito in the first place. Man, where do people come up with these ideas?"

The father shifted. "I guess they think that anything's possible with Robotnik."

Sonic glanced up at the sky, back in the direction they'd come from. There was no sign of Robotnik's Egg Carrier; either it had cloaked or just flown away. Who knew what scheme he was dreaming up?

The rest of the two day voyage to Scrap Brain passed without incident; Sonic spent most of the time playing games and telling stories to the kits and sleeping on the deck under the stars. He hadn't realised just how claustrophobic the Egg Carrier and that so-called facility had been.

A glimpse of a familiar two-tailed fox caught Sonic's attention as they were pulling up to the dock, and the hedgehog sucked in his breath sharply.

_Tails_!

"You got the date?" he said aloud.

"Uh." More interested in the mooring ropes, the father skunk barely spared Sonic a glance. "November second, I think."

"Thanks." Sonic fell silent, mind ticking over.

_November second. Tails' birthday was four days ago; man, I can't just show up in front of him empty handed!_

Well, it looked like he'd have plenty of time to think about it; the kits didn't want Sonic to go, and the hedgehog had to spend a lot of time reassuring them that yes, they'd see him again and no, he didn't want a small gang of 'butt-kicking super-cool sidekicks' as Scratch put it. Eventually (after signing several autographs on what looked like every item the entire litter owned) Sonic managed to get away and start looking for Tails and a birthday gift for the fox, not necessarily in that order.

A sign caught his eye and he swerved off to one side, grinning as he ducked into the hardware store. Fingers crossed Knuckles hadn't already got one of these for Tails...

* * *

"In organic terms, you are obtaining certain degrees of indulgence and warmth in your cardiac system," Omega informed Shadow.

"The phrase you're looking for is _getting soft_, and no I'm damn well not!"

"Then how would you explain that?" Omega pointed to where Bait was curled up under a tree fifty yards away and snoring slightly.

"Shut the hell up," the hedgehog snarled in an undertone. As snappy comebacks went, it wasn't quite up to his usual standard, but it would have to do.

The worst of it was he was starting to worry that Omega had a point. Maybe he _was_ getting soft.

The truth was – and if he couldn't say it here in his head then where _could_ he say it? – the truth was that he didn't know what to do with the kid. Having been in control of almost every situation he'd found himself in, Shadow had no idea how to handle this lost feeling.

"Then why didn't you just Chaos Control away?" Omega persisted.

"I said _shut up_!" Shadow snapped.

"Negative. It's a valid question."

"It's a stupid question," Shadow corrected him, not particularly truthfully.

"Then how about this? Why didn't you either blast the jackal or Chaos Control away when he started following us?" When Shadow didn't answer right away, Omega added, "As I said, you are getting soft. You could have killed him."

Shadow shook his head, feeling that he was on reasonably familiar ground here. "No. I couldn't."

"Why not?" Omega said. "He's nothing more than an immature jackal cub, and a somewhat unintelligent specimen at that."

"He's not unintelligent, Omega; he's uneducated. There's a big difference." The hedgehog looked over to the jackal's sleeping form. "Besides, he deserves something for sheer guts."

"Ah. In that case, allow me—"

"Omega!" Shadow grabbed the cannon that was extending from the robot's chest and attempted to shunt it back into place. "That's not what I meant."

"Did you know he was following us out of Genocide City?"

Shadow opened his mouth, shut it again and finally said, "That doesn't matter."

"You did, didn't you?"

"I said it doesn't matter!"

"You knew the jackal was following us and you permitted him to continue until we arrived in..." Omega swivelled his head around, scanning their surroundings. "Aquatic Ruin."

The hedgehog shifted his weight irritably, not quite looking at the robot. Much as he despised himself for what he perceived as weakness, Shadow had found that he couldn't just leave the jackal to die. He didn't know what happened to people in Genocide City Zone in any great detail, but he didn't like the thought of abandoning Bait to find out the hard way either.

_Exactly. Doing that would have been almost tantamount to killing the jackal myself. We're out of Genocide City and now I can walk away with a clear conscience._

That was all very well, but he'd been thinking that for the past ten hours and so far he hadn't done anything of the kind. Next to him, Omega turned and started walking back the way they'd come.

"Where are you going?" Shadow demanded.

"Sensors indicate a significant lack of adequate sustenance in the surrounding area."

The black hedgehog curled his lip. "Since when do _you_ eat?"

"Since never. But stored data also indicates the prolonged lack of nourishment may have long-term effects on an organic's health."

Shadow opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. It didn't seem worth it.

"Fine. Just don't draw too much attention to yourself."

"Affirmative," the one-ton robot assured him, then turned and clanked off.

Leaning against a tree, Shadow folded his arms and stared at nothing while he thought. Omega's bringing in food was admittedly the least of his worries – the robot did it often enough after all – but what the _hell_ was he supposed to do about that damn jackal?

Shadow debated with himself for a few minutes, then thought _Screw it_. Walking over to Bait, he nudged the jackal's shoulder hard with one foot.

"Get up."

Bait jerked awake, eyes groggy and unfocused. "I dint do it!"

Shadow folded his arms. "Never mind that. Get on your feet."

The jackal obeyed, clinging to a tree for support as his injured ribs screamed in agony. Shadow stood there watching, face impassive as Bait fought to keep any traces of that pain from showing.

He wasn't doing too bad a job of it either, Shadow allowed grudgingly. He'd seen plenty of people try to conceal pain – usually pain that Shadow himself had inflicted – and not all of them had succeeded as well as the jackal.

Nodding towards Bait's ribs, he said coolly, "You'll want to get that looked at. There should be a hospital somewhere around here."

He could almost see the cogs turning in Bait's head as the still muzzy jackal fought to puzzle this one out. Eventually Bait said, "So…first you beat the crap outta me an' now you wanna patch me up? How's that work, mister?"

Shadow shrugged. "I may not like you, jackal, but that doesn't mean I want you to suffer unnecessarily. We had our fight, and it didn't make you feel any better. In fact, judging from the bruising around your ribs, I'd say it had the opposite effect," the black hedgehog added, more curtly than usual. He wasn't exactly proud of his part in all that; he'd only hit Bait in the hopes that it might knock some sense into the jackal. "We did this your way and it didn't work. Now it's going to be my way or the highway. More specifically, it's going to be my way for me and the highway for you."

"Like back in that Gen'cide City place?" Bait dared to ask.

Shadow hesitated, then took the plunge. Reputation be damned; if he didn't ask the question now, it would torment him forever.

"How the _hell_ did you manage to track us out of there?"

Bait shrugged slightly. "Followed your skates. They make a kinda noise, like _zow, zow, zow, zow_. I jus' followed that sound."

"Impressive," Shadow said, and for once he meant it. That was a good point to remember; just because he relied mostly on his eyes didn't mean others were as handicapped. "You're still not coming along with me."

The jackal folded his arms stubbornly. "I ain't leavin', not 'til you take me to Sonic."

He didn't even have time to blink before Shadow was on him, one hand around his throat. There was no pressure applied, but the mere thought of suffocation was enough to silence the jackal.

"Get this straight," Shadow said softly. "I am _not here _to take your orders." Leaning in, he lowered his voice even more. "Do _not_ antagonise me. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

A chill ran down Bait's spine. "You're bluffin'."

"I assure you I'm not. I'm not like your pathetic brother, cub; if I make a threat, I have every intention of carrying it out."

The jackal didn't move, hardly dared to breathe. Something inside him said that Shadow was telling the truth.

"It's a free Zone. If I wanna walk in the same direction as what you are, you got no right to stop me."

Shadow smiled slightly. "Ah. In that case..." Releasing Bait, he pulled out the Chaos Emerald. "Chaos—"

The jackal lunged, seizing Shadow's wrist before the hedgehog had time to say the final word.

"You go an' you're jus' gonna take me with you."

Shadow paused, eyeing him coolly. There was no question that Bait was terrified of the likely repercussions – the hedgehog could almost smell the fear emanating from him in waves – just as there was no question that the jackal wasn't going to give in. So far his fear of being abandoned was greater than his fear of what Shadow might do to him.

_Well, we'll just see about that._

With one smooth move, Shadow tore his wrist out of Bait's hold, then swung his arm around to backhand the jackal squarely across the jaw, sending him sprawling in the mud. Arms folded, he stared down at the jackal coldly, waiting to see how Bait would react.

The jackal struggled to his feet, blood dribbling from a split lip. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, he clung to a branch and fixed Shadow with a look that wasn't accusatory so much as resigned.

"So much for not hittin' cubs."

"I said I didn't _fight_ cubs, jackal. I never said I don't hit them...and I don't think I've ever met one as tenacious and irritating as you. You pushed me too far. That's all."

Bait flattened his ears. "You said you understood."

"I do. I also said that your brother's death will only buy you licence to act like a little turd around me for so long, although since I said it to that blue hedgehog and not you, I suppose you can hardly be blamed for your lack of awareness." Shadow paused, considering his options. He wasn't sadistic by nature, and although his ideas of obligation were vastly different to Sonic's, they were still present. He'd killed the jackal's brother and separated him – albeit inadvertently – from the only other person who might be persuaded to take him in, and he hadn't planned on doing either.

"Alright," he said tersely.

Bait froze. "What?"

"You want to stick around until your blue bodyguard shows up? Fine. But Omega and I have better things to do than feed and shelter you. You can hang around near us, but as far as care goes, you can take care of yourself. As soon as we find that hedgehog, I'm offloading you onto him whether he wants you or not."

Turning, he strode away to the warmth of the campfire; the night was unusually chilly for Aquatic Ruin.

"Shadow!"

"_What_?" Shadow all but snarled, not looking at the jackal.

Bait swallowed. "What 'bout Raker?"

Understanding what the jackal was really asking, Shadow half turned to regard him coolly.

"Sonic dealt with that. I believe he tossed him out one of the airlocks."

Bait paled. "He what?"

"It was that or dump him in the energy vat for recycling," Shadow said brutally. "In fact, I'm surprised Sonic didn't go for that option; at least that way your brother might finally have been of some use."

Bait clenched his fists. "You take that back, _Shads_!"

The hedgehog lifted an eye ridge, slowly, as though Bait wasn't worth the energy the action took.

"Or?"

"Or I'll _make_ you!" Bait hurtled forward, tripped on a rock and slipped sideways. Gravity and his own momentum took hold and he rolled down the steep slope into the nearby lake with a _splash_.

Shadow looked down at him and snickered quietly. "Yeah. You do that, jackal. You make me."

Humiliated, Bait scrambled out, shaking himself dry. "I meant to do that!"

"Sure you did." Shadow folded his arms. "Alright. Since I dislike seeing anyone make a fool of themselves – and since you seem to be unusually gifted in that respect – I'm willing to go back to our original deal. You stop taking your own insecurities out on me, and I'll Chaos Control you to a Zone and leave you there."

_Chaos Control_! Bait tensed. An idea had just occurred to him, one that was so bold and so audacious that it froze him to the spot.

Suppose he stole the Chaos Emerald from Shadow and used it himself? It was risky – in fact, it was more than simply risky; it bordered on the downright suicidal – but that Chaos Control thing seemed easy enough. And once he had the Emerald, Shadow could skate around all he wanted; Bait could just Chaos Control away from him!

Well, if Shadow wasn't going to help him (and Bait had to admit the hedgehog had every good reason not to) then he'd just have to help himself.

"Mister?"

"What?"

Bait swallowed hard, fighting down the sudden sick feeling that had materialised in his stomach.

"You...uh...you gotta be pretty tired, right mister? I mean, you been goin' all this time an' I never seen you sleep, so...you gotta be zonked, huh?"

"Hm." Shadow kept his attention focused on the dying embers of the campfire, no trace of his thoughts showing on his face. "Maybe. Why?"

"Well...I were jus' thinkin'...y'know, if you wanted to, mebbe, get some sleep...I could keep watch?" Bait finished hopefully.

Shadow raised an eye ridge, still not looking at Bait. "Really? Do you feel we're in danger here?"

The jackal nodded vigorously. "Yeah! 'Cause...the people from that Zone could be followin' us."

"I see. But Omega's more than capable of dealing with anyone who thinks he can kill me while I'm asleep," Shadow remarked to the fire, his tone both a statement and a warning.

Bait squirmed. "Yeah, but...but he might not get back, huh mister? An' 'sides, I were thinkin' more of _me_, 'cause I dunt think you or that Omega guy'd cry your eyes out if I got hurt."

"Perhaps not," Shadow said, relenting slightly. "Alright. Maybe I will get some rest."

Bait nodded eagerly, hardly daring to breathe as the black hedgehog settled down in front of the fire. That had been easier than he'd expected.

Now for the tricky bit.

* * *

_I wish_, Sonic thought grimly as he tried to pull off a length of sellotape, keep it from twisting, hold the wrapping paper in place and cut the tape at the same time, _that damn hardware store had a gift-wrapping policy_!

It took several more strands of tape and a fair amount of fur before Sonic had the gift more or less wrapped, and he'd taken so long that when he emerged Tails was nowhere to be seen.

Darting up to the counter, he squirmed past people with a "Sorry!" and cut in front of an elderly hippo to address the parakeet who was currently serving.

"There was a kid here, a two-tailed fox. Where'd he go?"

Clearly torn between his shock at seeing a living legend in front of him – never mind having one address him – and his customer service training, the parakeet just gawked at him. Sonic snapped his fingers.

"Hey! The two-tailed fox? Did you see him leave?"

A slow, almost mechanical nod. The parakeet seemed oblivious to the fact that the cup he was pouring coffee into was now overflowing down the sides and flooding the saucer.

"Great! Which way did he go?"

A pointing finger was raised, indicating a narrow alleyway, and Sonic grinned.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

Turning, he zipped away and down the alley, zigzagging in between pedestrians and finally emerging, overtaking and skidding to a stop five yards in front of Tails. The fox froze suddenly, staring at the hedgehog as though he'd seen a ghost.

"Hey lil bro," Sonic said lightly. "How's things?"

"_Sonic_?" Tails stared at the hedgehog wordlessly for so long that Sonic shifted his weight awkwardly, then the fox promptly raced forward and buried him in a hug that carried them both into the far wall. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, you bet I am!" Sonic reached down, ruffling the fur on Tails' head, grinning as Tails increased the hug, even going so far as to run on the ground for extra leverage. "And I got something for you."

Tails looked up eagerly. "What?"

Sonic raised his voice. "I said, I got something for you!"

The fox gave him a _ha-ha, funny_ look. "I meant, what've you got for me?"

Sonic laughed. "Okay buddy. Here." Reaching behind him, he pulled out the hastily (and badly) wrapped parcel and handed it to Tails. "Happy birthday." He paused. "Kinda late, I know," he added, "but I was on another planet until very recently." He winked at Tails, who was occupied in tearing off the paper, eventually revealing a brand new welding torch.

Something cracked inside the fox, who swallowed convulsively and looked away, ears drooping.

"Hey, what's this?" Sonic tilted Tails' jaw up towards him. "If you don't like it, we can take it back and get you something else, lil bro. I won't be offended."

Tails shook his head vigorously. "No! It's great!"

Sonic laughed. "Then why're you looking like someone just kicked your puppy?"

The fox looked down at the welding torch, then back up at Sonic.

"Knux missed my birthday," he said quietly.

"Oh kiddo." Although the fox was fairly mature for his age, he was still young enough for birthdays to matter, and Sonic shook his head. "Okay. What say we go hit the local fast food joint?"

The look on Tails' face made Sonic feel ten feet tall, and he grinned, reaching down to ruffle the fox's fur.

"C'mon then, lil bro. I've had nothing to eat bar the odd chili dog and some weird alien stew ever since I got sucked into that Void."

The fox's ears perked. "Sonic, did you really go to another planet?"

"You better believe it." Sonic shivered. "And man, you can keep it! That place was a nightmare! Nothing but humans as far as the eye could see, though some of their movies are pretty cool."

"They are?" Tails' eyes lit up. "What kinda movies?"

Sonic pretended to consider as they walked along towards a fast food restaurant that he knew Tails loved. "Well..."

"Yeah?"

"You ever hear of a guy named Hannibal Lecter?"

* * *

Bait crept forward, every muscle in his body tense. He'd stolen from people before, but the stakes were far higher now than they'd ever been. The jackal literally couldn't imagine what Shadow would do if he caught Bait trying to steal the Chaos Emerald.

So far so good, however; Shadow hadn't even stirred.

A little closer now. Closer. It was taking three times as long for Bait to sneak up as it usually would, but that was fine by him; if it enabled him to steal the Emerald without being detected, then it was time well spent.

There was the sudden sound of something crashing through the undergrowth, away

from Bait. The jackal froze rigid, hardly daring to breathe.

_Did he hear that?_ It seemed a fairly moot point; as far as Bait's keyed up mind was concerned, Shadow would have to be deaf not to have heard it. Mind working frantically, trying out and rejecting one excuse after another, Bait looked down, fully expecting to see Shadow staring up at him.

Nothing. The hedgehog hadn't opened his eyes, hadn't so much as twitched.

_Guess he must be real zonked out,_ Bait thought, and that made him feel bolder. If Shadow hadn't woken up when that animal had gone racing away, he wasn't likely to do it when Bait crept up on him.

The jackal hesitated, unsure. That was all very well, except he couldn't shake the belief that he could wander around the black hedgehog all he liked, but the instant he made physical contact, Shadow would be on him.

As though in agreement, the black hedgehog stirred suddenly, rolling over onto his back and stretching. Bait flattened his ears, body so tense he was now quivering slightly, and then, to his astonishment - not to mention relief - Shadow settled again. One hand slid off his chest and out to the side, landing on Bait's sneaker.

A tiny whimper escaped the jackal's throat. There was no way he could reach into Shadow's quills and take the Emerald now; he'd be lucky if he could extricate himself without waking the hedgehog. Carefully, greatly daring, Bait stretched out his other foot until it rested on a twig, then he snapped it. The crack was deafening to his keyed-up senses, but it had the desired effect; Shadow mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over again, exposing his back.

Gently, not even aware he was holding his breath, Bait reached down. How much feeling did a hedgehog have in his quills? They couldn't be too sensitive, or they'd be no good for defence, but still...would Shadow feel his touch and wake up?

Bait's questing fingers found something hard. There! The Chaos Emerald! It had to be! As delicately as he could, the jackal pulled the gem out and backed away, clutching it tightly.

He'd done it! He'd really done it! Bait kept quiet, moving silently until he was at least ten feet away from Shadow and Omega, then he held up the Emerald just like he'd seen Shadow do and shouted "Chaos Control!"

Nothing happened. There was no bright flash of light, no magical teleportation. Bait was still standing there, holding the Chaos Emerald aloft, now feeling more than a little foolish.

Through the darkness, he heard Shadow chuckle dryly.

"Not as easy as it looks, is it?"

Bait yelped in alarm, ears now flat against his head as he realised the truth. The hedgehog had been awake all the time, had simply been toying with him, allowing him to take the Chaos Emerald because he knew full well there was no way Bait could escape with it.

Shadow snapped onto his feet with a lithe action that caused Bait to take a step or two back. Either not noticing or – more likely – blatantly ignoring this, Shadow walked towards him at a pace that would have been considered slow even by a normal Mobian's standards.

Bait hunched his shoulders, making himself look as small as possible. There was something in Shadow's deliberate approach that was more terrifying than if he'd rushed the jackal. Worse yet, all Bait could do was stand there and wait; his muscles seemed to have turned to wood.

The footsteps stopped in front of him, too far away for Bait to see their owner. After a few minutes had gone by, the jackal couldn't stand the suspense any more and raised his eyes to Shadow's. There was nothing written in the hedgehog's expression; Bait couldn't tell if Shadow was angry, amused or if he even felt anything at all, and he looked away again quickly.

In fact, now that he thought about it, he didn't think he'd ever seen a real emotion on the hedgehog's face.

Shadow waited until the pressure became too much and the jackal looked back at him, then simply held out his hand.

Hesitantly, not sure if Shadow was planning to use it on him or not, Bait dropped the Chaos Emerald into it.

There was a long, long silence.

"You got a lot of guts, jackal," Shadow remarked at the end of it, idly tossing the Emerald in one hand. Catching it neatly, he held it up in front of the jackal's eyes. "But this Emerald is _mine_. Understand?"

Unable to speak, Bait nodded vehemently. There was another, even longer silence, then Shadow turned and walked away without another word.

* * *

Tails was in a dream world. After his guilt over Knuckles, the renewed bond between him and Sonic was a relief. When the echidna had rejected him – however temporarily – he'd felt very alone.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

Tails swallowed. "I gotta ask you something."

"Sounds ominous," Sonic said lightly, then grinned. "Sure, shoot."

"If someone – not me, but someone...uh...about, say, eight or nine years old – overheard someone saying he thought someone couldn't handle tough situations anymore and that someone wanted to prove them wrong, only someone else died and someone didn't want to talk to someone anymore...is it that someone's fault?"

Sonic frowned. "I think I followed you all the way up to _someone_, lil bro."

It took ten minutes for Tails to catch the hedgehog up on everything that had happened, and when he'd finished Sonic was unusually silent.

"Sonic?" Tails wriggled closer to his adopted brother, fixing the hedgehog with a huge-eyed appealing look. "Was it my fault?"

The hedgehog shook his head. "No. How could it have been? You were getting Espio to safety; you were nowhere near Knuckles' sister."

Tails picked up his soda and hoovered the dregs up noisily with a straw.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

The fox fixed him with huge eyes. "I wanna stay with you, Sonic, like before. 'Cause...we're still brothers, right? Right?"

Sonic reached out and ruffled the fur on Tails' head. "You better believe it, lil bro."

The fox grinned happily, then the grin froze as he remembered something.

"What 'bout that jackal?"

"If you're talking about Bait—"

"Yeah!"

"—then first of all he has a name and secondly, I won't have the two of you fighting. What's done is done." Sonic grinned. "You never know. The two of you could be pretty good friends."

"After what he did?" Tails looked away. "Nuh uh. Forget it."

The hedgehog laughed. "You always were stubborn, kiddo. I guess Knuckles managed to bring out that side of you even more." He shook his head. "Look at it this way, lil bro; if I'd refused to have anything to do with Knux because he spent most of his time trying to kill us in the beginning, what would have happened to you when I went off that rail?" When Tails didn't answer, Sonic added casually, "Actually, Bait's terrified of you."

Tails pushed himself away to stare at the hedgehog in astonishment. "_Me_?"

"_You_. Oh, he'd never admit it – and I don't want you mentioning this to anyone, not even Knuckles – but the poor kid's scared stiff that I'm gonna dump him in favour of you, not to mention he keeps raking himself over the coals for what happened to you."

"An' he _should_!" Tails flattened his ears. "He can't jus' expect me to forget everything that happened, Sonic. That'd be like...like...if it was my fault Robotnik tortured you and I just expected you to forget _that_. Could you get along with Robotnik?"

"I did all the time we were on his ship," Sonic retorted.

"No you didn't, you just didn't kill each other." The fox gulped down the rest of his chilli dog in a single bite, then fixed Sonic with huge eyes and an even huger smile. "Sonic..."

Sonic rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation before winking. "Yeah, buddy, we can get desserts."

"_Yeah_!" Tails punched the air triumphantly, then wilted again.

"Now what?"

The fox doodled on the table with his finger, tracing patterns in one or another of the various sticky substances that coated it.

"'S jus'...I feel kinda bad about having a good time while Knux is moping back with the CDA."

"Then don't," Sonic said simply. Seeing Tails still looked morose, he grinned. "Kiddo, Knuckles is stubborn, hot-headed and thicker than a breeze block bap, but he's also one of the toughest people I know. He'll come around sooner or later." Sonic winked. "Promise."

* * *

The sound of movement made Bait yelp in alarm and spin round, coming face to face with nothing more deadly than a squirrel, which chattered at him briefly and then raced away through the branches.

The jackal drew in a long breath, held it until spots started to flash in front of his eyes and then let it out again as slowly and silently as he could. His nerves were worn to shreds after the encounter with Shadow; he didn't know if the hedgehog was planning some kind of punishment in return for Bait's audacity in trying to steal the Chaos Emerald, and until he knew, he didn't dare let his guard down. He'd slept lightly the past couple of nights, waking at every little sound and during the day he hadn't dared to stop moving.

His stomach rumbled noisily, drawing attention to another problem; namely that he hadn't eaten properly in two days. He'd gone through something like this before with Sonic, after a certain incident involving Bait, the hedgehog and a rope bridge in Aquatic Ruin Zone, but at least that fear had been tempered by the knowledge that Sonic had needed him to find Tails.

Well, he couldn't go on like this. He'd either have to ask Shadow directly or leave for good, and the thought of being on his own was far more terrifying than any punishment Shadow could deal out.

Taking a deep breath, Bait summoned his last remnants of courage and walked up to the fire. Shadow glanced at him – the jackal had been hiding in the forest at night ever since the Chaos Emerald episode – but other than that didn't acknowledge his arrival.

Bait shifted his weight, cold in spite of the flames.

"Shadow?"

"Hm?"

Bait swallowed. He was tired, wanted more than ever to sit down and rest his legs, but all the time there was a chance of Shadow attacking him, he didn't dare. Not that he had any crazy thoughts of outrunning the hedgehog, but at least this way he felt he retained _some_ control of the situation.

The jackal shifted his weight from one side to the other in an attempt to ease his aching feet.

"Are you mad?" he said suddenly, then realised Shadow might take this the wrong way and hastily added, "I mean are you mad 'bout that Em'rald thing?"

"Emerald thing? What...oh. Oh, you mean the whole slinking around under cover of darkness and trying to rob me in my sleep thing?"

Bait swallowed again. There was no going back now.

"Yeah."

"No."

The jackal hesitated, hardly daring to believe what he'd just heard.

"What?"

"I said no. I was never angry about that. In fact, I found it rather amusing."

"Amusin'?" Bait's voice quivered slightly, both from tiredness and some kind of raw emotion. "You mean I bin hidin' in the forests an' hardly sleepin' for no reason?"

"If that's why you've been doing it, yes," Shadow answered calmly. "If I wanted to punish you, I would have done so already. _Now_ what?" as he saw the jackal eyeing him warily.

"So...why dint you jus' say that?"

"Because I didn't think even you'd be insecure enough for me to have to even if I'd been inclined to, that's why."

Bait shook his head. "That don't even make sense."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "You want something that makes sense to you? Alright. You're weak, pathetic and couldn't even steal candy from a baby. I don't know why I waste my time with you since it would have been better for all concerned if you'd just died in Genocide City." He paused to observe the effect of his words on the jackal. "Have I left anything out?"

Bait shook his head mutely. Shadow wasn't a bad mimic when the fancy took him, and the voice that came out of the hedgehog's mouth had sounded almost exactly like Raker.

"Good. Then maybe you'll forget these crazy dreams of turning yourself – or worse, me – into a carbon copy of your brother."

Bait swallowed. "Shadow?"

"What?"

"That deal thing you mentioned back in Gen'cide City..." Bait began, then stopped.

"Oh yes? What about it?"

The jackal flattened his ears. "Is it...well...are you still gonna do it?"

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "That all depends. Are you willing to keep your side of the bargain?"

"You get me to a Zone with Chaos Control an' I stop blamin' you over what happened to Raker."

"No, I get you to a Zone with Chaos Control and you stop trying to pick a fight with me over what happened to Raker. I couldn't care less what you think or say about me in private."

Bait picked up a bone he'd left and crunched between his teeth, sucking out the marrow. "Okay. So you take me to Sonic an' I don't bother you again 'bout anythin'."

"I said I'd get you to a _Zone_. I can't take you to a person unless I know exactly where they are."

"Oh." Bait fell silent, ears drooping. They sat there in silence for several minutes, then he said, "What 'bout Scrap Brain?"

"Agreed. I think it only fair to warn you though; if you break your half of the deal and try picking a fight with me again, that will make me a little…_upset_. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"If I come after you again you'll kick my arse all the way back to the humans' world?" Bait filled in obediently.

"And beyond." There was a long pause, then Shadow added reluctantly, "I…would be interested in knowing why you seem so intent on staying with me, however."

Bait glanced down, tracing patterns in the ground with his finger. "Yeah, well, 's jus'...it's tough out there an' I can't survive on my own."

There was a long, long silence.

"You can't survive on your own?" Shadow echoed. He shook his head slowly. "For someone with the wits and resources to track me out of Genocide City, you seem remarkably stupid. Can't survive on your own? What do you think you've been doing all this time?" Before Bait had a chance to answer, the black hedgehog was on his feet and had grabbed the jackal by the arm. "Chaos Control!"

Bait's vision filled with green light. When it cleared, they were standing on a road that wound between sparse tropical plants. Scrap Brain Zone was just visible in the distance.

"You can take yourself the rest of the way," Shadow added coolly. "I stay out of populated areas. Chaos Control!"

Another flash of green light, and then the jackal was alone on the road.

It took him an hour and a half of walking to reach the outskirts of the city – a process slowed somewhat by his injuries – and another forty minutes to track Sonic down, and when he did he wished he hadn't. Seeing Sonic through the window of a fast food joint, relaxed and laughing with that fox (and just where had he come from? Bait wondered) was too intimidating for the jackal to just walk on in and announce himself...especially when you took into consideration the little fact that he'd pretty much gone AWOL.

Well, Sonic seemed happy enough without him, Bait thought, and since Shadow had taken out Raker (and the memory of that still brought a lump to the jackal's throat) he didn't need Sonic's protection anymore!

_Yeah, we're quits_, Bait thought, with a fierceness that didn't quite fool himself. _I helped him get his brother an' he got me away from Raker. We don't owe each other nothin'_. _Prob'ly he'll be happy to have Tails back._

If Sonic's light-hearted demeanour and expression were anything to go by, then he was positively ecstatic at being back on his old footing with Tails.

"It's okay, you can go ask him for his autograph," a koala informed Bait helpfully, mistaking the longing in the jackal's expression. "I did and he was real nice about it."

Bait snorted. "Why'd I want somethin' like that? Sonic'n'me go way back; we got taken to another planet an' he saved me."

The koala giggled. "Yeah, _right_!" Racing back over to his friends, he added in a loud voice, "Have you _heard_ this psycho?"

Bait didn't wait around to find out if they'd heard him or not; at that point he spun on his heel and took off through the streets, dodging around the pedestrians. His pace became progressively slower as the pain in his ribs increased, but he kept moving, only stopping when he'd left the city for the shallow forest he'd walked through not three hours before.

There was no sound, no indication, but somehow Bait knew he wasn't alone. Turning, he saw Shadow leaning against a tree and flattened his ears.

"You come to laugh at me, mister?"

"Lay off the self-pity," Shadow said in bored tones, "you're breaking nobody's heart but your own."

"How'd you find me?"

The black hedgehog shrugged. "I watched you go in. I didn't bring you all this way to have you mugged or kidnapped. What happened?"

The jackal folded his arms. "Sonic's with his buddy now...an'...an' I'm _happy_ for him. I don't care if he wants Tails an' not me."

There was a short silence, then Shadow said, "Yes you do."

"No I _don't_!" Bait punched the hedgehog hard on the arm, an action that was only slightly less surprising than the fact that Shadow did nothing to stop him. "What'm I s'posed to do?"

The black hedgehog curled his lip. "I'm sorry; I think you've mistaken me for someone who gives a damn."

Bait fixed him with a look. Shadow's arrogance and contempt was familiar territory to him, but something didn't fit...the black hedgehog didn't strike him as the kind who would come back or hang around just to taunt someone.

"What d'you _want _from me, mister?"

"To be candid – which I usually am – I don't want anything from you. I was just interested to see if I wasted my time bringing you here." Shadow glanced down at the jackal and added, "Clearly I did. What did the blue hedgehog say?"

"Nothin'," Bait mumbled. Strange as it sounds, a part of him was oddly comforted by Shadow's presence; at least you always knew where you stood with him. You might not be standing there for very long, but there was no hypocrisy in the hedgehog's nature.

"Nothing. I see. So he just eyeballed you for half an hour, is that it?"

The jackal snorted. "Mister, if you think I was gonna give him the chance to dump me in fronta people, you're crazy."

"In other words, you were too frightened to talk to him and so frightened he was going to reject you in favour of that fox that you crawled away without bothering to ask him or even say goodbye."

Bait turned away. Shadow might not be his enemy, but the hedgehog had a nasty habit of firing home truths at him that he didn't much like.

"Jus' piss off, Shads! Piss off an' leave me alone! You're gonna do that anyway, so you might as well do it now."

"As you wish." There was the barest hint of amusement in Shadow's voice, only really noticeable if you were listening hard. "Chaos Control!"

There was a flash of light and Shadow was gone, leaving Bait alone.

"I dint mean it!"

There was no answer. Even if Shadow had been inclined to reply, there was no way he could have heard the jackal.

Taking a long, deep breath, every inch of his body language practically screaming his uncertainty, Bait turned his back on Scrap Brain Zone and started walking. Part of him was shouting not to be so stupid, that Sonic wouldn't turn him away, but the other parts overruled it. No, Sonic might not turn him away, but Bait was smart enough to know that his reappearance just when the hedgehog was back on an even keel with Tails would complicate things.

Besides, despite the amount of time that had elapsed, he didn't think he could face the fox after what had happened. Not now, and probably not ever.

With his mind firmly made up, and his heart feeling like it was about to tear itself out of his body, Bait walked onwards.

**Heh. Well, people have been asking and clamouring for Sonic and Tails to get back on their old footing after _Secrets of the Emeralds_, so there ya go! Next in the series is _Gemini Project_; hopefully see you there :D**


End file.
